Life in the Stars
by justatyphoonwriter
Summary: Follow season one through the eyes of a girl out of her universe. A sweet, curvy, down to earth and sarcastic Texan gets up-rooted from her universe to fix events that never happened in the Doctor Who- verse. Bad summary, sorry not sorry. I know its been done to death but this is my take on season one with an oc. WIP. Updated weekly. Rated for language, for now.
1. Prologue

A/N: I'm looking for a beta if anyone wants to volunteer that would be amaze-balls. Like always review/favorite/follow. Tell me what you like, what you hate, or where you want the story to go!

Much Thanks,

-Typhoon

Prologue

"Come on Sam," Lyla quietly muttered to her six-month-old puppy as she watched him try to find a spot to pop a squat at two a.m. "It's too cold for these early morning wake-up calls ya lil' shit," she stated a bit louder and with a bit of fondness in her voice.

When the pup finally found the perfect spot to relieve himself, he trotted back to his owner with a happy tongue wagging smile. "Thank the Jesuses." Lyla reached down to unhook the leash with a soft pat of the head and quick rub of the ears, Sam walked back into the house. _Mutts probably back in the warm bed_ , Lyla thought to herself with a shiver. Just as she was about to step through the front door she heard it. _NO. Fucking. Way._ The very unmistakable sound of the Tardis materialization sequence. "What the hell." She whispered to the wind as she slowly shut the door and walked closer to the sound. _What. Who. HOW?_ Her mind full of one word questions and with a healthy dose of curiosity, she stepped off her porch to investigate.

She rounded the corner of the barn that was set off to the side of her family home and feasted her now wide and disbelieving eyes on a very familiar blue box. **BOOM.** She gave a slight jump away as the noise blasted through the yard. **BOOM.** She blinked hard and slowly shook her head back and forth as she took a small step toward the box. The box itself was laying on its side with the doors facing her and was scuffed and scratched beyond belief. **BOOM.** If the hissing noise was anything to go by then she was leaking gas and there must've been a fire as well if the smoke was any indicator. Lyla took another slow step forward with only the words _MUST TOUCH SEXY_ flowing through her mind. **BOOM.** The door comes flying open and a man falls out and quickly, with the help of the box, stands up.

Lyla completely freezes. All breathing, thinking, and shivering stops as she gazes upon the Master. The man coughs and wheezes as he slowly straightens his back and glances around with a screwed- up face. Once his eyes land on the pale women, he quickly advances and grabs her upper arms in a tight grip and glowers at the young women.

It's like a live wire that shocks her back into reality when the first contact happens. "Where am I? Who are you? Where is she?" The questions come bullet fast at her face.

"America. Texas to be exact. Lyla Aylin. And where is who?" She answers automatically. Lyla points to the box that is behind him with slightly shaking hand, "That's not yours."

The crazed man's eyes betrayed his shock for a split second before it clears and gives away to suspicion, "How do you know that."

"Uh… That's Sexy. She belongs to her thief. You are not him." She replies distractedly, while her eyes never leave the magnificent ship. _What the fuck is happening right now. If this is a dream then please don't end cause that is.. that is… that's…. holy crap-olla._

He quickly grabs her by the neck and forces her eyes on him when he asks again, "How. Do. You. Know. That." _OK. Now I want it to end._

Lyla blinks rapidly before replying in a slow manner, "Any Whovian worth their salt knows that."

Now confused the Master shakes his head and returns to a pervious asked question. "Where is the Bad Wolf?" _Seriously._

"What…" She blinks rapidly again, "What the What."

"Bad Wolf." He gives her a harsh shake. _Ok, crazy dude needs to back off. Imma punch him sooner than later. I swear it._

"There's no bad wolf here. The actress that played her is in London and sweetheart you got the flight a bit wrong if that was the goal."

"NO! These were the exact coordinates. Years of calculations and theories and this was the result." He accused while dropping her arms and turning around in a fury. "And all for a backwoods Barbie with an identity crisis."

"Hey! That was rude asshole." She replied with a huff.

The Master paid no attention to Lyla as he paced in a circle while mumbling to himself, "I have to find her or everything dies. The doctor and I's work cannot be wasted. But why would she bring us here? Unless…" He trailed off in speech and his head snapped in Lyla's direction. He stared at her with his head cocked to the side and an unknown look in his crazed eyes. He seemed to come to some type of decision and advanced quickly on Lyla while she finally got her shit together and stumbles back away from the crazy man. "You are coming with me." _Hell no creepy dude._

"What. NO," she fought his hands wrapping around her arms and the dragging force he used to walk towards the Tardis.

They reached the Tardis where she was thrown in as the Master quickly followed with the doors slamming closed behind him. Lyla slowly stood and looked around at the console room with wide disbelieving eyes until they rested on the franticly moving Master. "What the hell are you doin'." _I should probably be freaking out more… But it's the console room…_

"You're gonna save my universe." He replied while pushing buttons and turning dials as he raced around the console. _Nope that's it. I'm getting out. Sightseeing is over. Waking up would be just peachy right about now._

"Uh No. I have a life here." She raced to doors and tried to open them as she started to hear the disappearing sequence start. "Stop that and let me out you nut case." She started banging on the doors with her fist when she felt hands come around her and trapped her in a vise like grip. "What the hell are you doin?!" _Now is now the time to cope a feel crazy dude._ She now had to shout over the various noises happening in the room. The whole of the room started to shake after a huge explosion that happened at the console. Tremors that would put any earthquake to shame rocked through her and the Master as he kept them from being tossed around the room. With a final explosion and loud crack the Tardis seemed to settle and the Master quickly released her and lunged for the doors. Lyla was quick to follow and nearly fainted when she stepped out into the center of London. "No no no no no no no…" stumbling over her feet and her words she braced herself on the side of the Tardis. _Is it just me or is the world spinning a bit._ Her eyes roamed their surroundings before they landed on her kidnapper, "What the fuck did you just do." She accused as she quickly advanced on him. He eyed her with nothing less than disdain. Before he could get a word out she pulled her fist back and let it launch right into his nose. _Told you I would punch you sooner rather than later._ With a satisfying crack Lyla pulled back and started in while he brought his hands up to his bleeding and broken nose. "Why would you bring me here. What the fuck were you thinking. I don't know anything about London. Or where exactly I am. Or when for that lovely matter. And I have absolutely nothing. No money. No id. Hell, for all I know, no future or past. I don't belong here." She finished breathing heavy as she stood defensively in front of The Master.

"Are you done?" He asked but not pausing to let her answer before he barreled on, "2004, May to be exact and you are somewhere in Cardiff if I had to guess." _Lovely Cardiff,_ she thought disgustedly. Before Lyla could even speak her thoughts to that news, he had her by the neck and harshly pushed against the Tardis as he got close to her ear. "And you will save my universe. I don't care how you do it but you will. Bad Wolf never happened. You will fix it." He released her and shoved her to the side as he reached back into the Tardis and brought out a small backpack and tossed it to her. "Everything you need or will need is in there." He pushed her farther away and pointed down the street, "There is a hotel that way."

She stood holding the backpack with white knuckled hands and mouth hanging open as she tried to get her mind around what was happening to her. He pushed her farther away and stepped back into the Tardis as it started to fade out of existence with a flash of gold. Lyla took a step back and slowly turned the way he pointed and made her way to the hotel. Her body was running on auto-pilot as she interacted with the front desk. When Lyla finally shut the door, she slid down and let the tears fall.

 _What am I gonna do. I'm stuck here! My family… SAM!_ With that thought the crying turned into body shaking sobs. After the tears ran out and the room darkened Lyla picked herself up and grabbed the gifted backpack and throw it on the bed where she followed. Once there she started to shift through the contents. _Assets Assets._ She pulled out the first thing she touched which was a wallet. She opened it up to find that it was bigger on the inside and filled with cash and credit cards. _Well that helps with housing and food. Still need clothes. And a job. And what the hell I'm gonna do here._ The next thing she pulled out was another much slimmer black leather flip- fold wallet. She opened that and feasted her eyes on the newly obtained physic paper. _Well that helps with getting an id and necessary papers for a job._ She reached back in and pulled out a laptop that was from her time. _Thank every deity ever thought of. At least it wasn't a clunky thing from '04. Wait…. Was the laptop out yet? Was WIFI?! Oh Sweet lord, please be a super computer…_ She turned the laptop on and the first thing she did was search desperatly for the internet. _Oh, thank you Tardis!_ Once google was pulled up she set it to the side to research later. She reached in again and started pulling out clothes. Jeans, shirts, shoes, underwear, and everything in-between. She reached in a again thinking that there can't be anything else that she could need when she pulled out three things: a cell phone ( _a motherfucking razor)_ , a Tardis blue journal with a voice activated lock on the front, and a beautiful sparkling silver bracelet. She took each new item and examined them extensively. The phone was a standard flip phone… a razor. _Oh my freaking cheez-its. I remember these!_ Lyla, with an air of excitement, she flipped it open and sped through the settings, her mind full of memories of better, funnier, and easier times. She set the phone down and picked up the journal and turned it over a couple times. _Now how do I open this. Well I guess I can just say something and see if that works._ "Open Sesame," She said slowly and cautiously.

The lock clicked up with a faint computerized voice said, "New password accepted." _Great. Just great._ Lyla flipped through the journal to realize that its blank. _Well I guess she wants me to write my foreknowledge down._

She set down the journal and picked up the bracelet cautiously. _Why am I suddenly afraid of a simple silver bracelet?_ She turned it over and slowly unclasped it and slide it on her wrist. The bracelet instantly resized and fit snuggly around her wrist while the clasp totally vanished from site. _Well that's freaky._ She tugged on the bracelet fruitlessly. With a huff and a bone deep sigh she gave up and laid back on the bed in the middle of all her newly obtained possessions. Within seconds she was fast asleep.

 **JUNE-FEBUARY**

Over the last eight months, Lyla found herself a fully furnished apartment, _FLAT remember that. They're called flats here._ She also set up back accounts to put three years' worth of money in for rent and utilities that was on auto payments because of the Doctors horrid driving skills. One thing that Lyla did do the day after she arrived was use her super computer to research her family and found that they didn't exist in this universe. After she found that a new round of tears came.

She was 10 minutes from the Powell estate and 15 from Henrik's, where she now worked alongside Rose Tyler, the other new and Rose were fast friends. Lyla's first time meeting Rose she almost fangirled all over the poor women because she looked exactly like Billie Piper. _How does that even work._

She still had plenty of cash and hadn't touched the credit cards seeing as half where in alien languages that haven't been translated yet. She also bought stock in several companies that she knew would be a huge in the future. _What's the use of foreknowledge if you can't help some worthy causes._

She had written most of what she knew about the show _Doctor Who_ in her Tardis journal and found that it was bigger on the inside as well. So, she started writing her day to day life and what she could change and couldn't change about people dying. Lyla was also back and forth on the idea of telling the Doctor where she was from. _Maybe after Canary Warf._ As time flew by it was 2005, and seeing as the doctor should be showing up anytime to stop the Nestene Consciousness, Lyla was getting anxious. _It should happen in March. Around the restart day of New Who, right? Hopefully._


	2. Rose

AN: Well like I promised here's chapter 1. Tell me how I did. I still don't have a beta but I hope this is a little better edited. Favorite/Follow/ Review!

Much love,

Typhoon

Chapter 1

Lyla woke up to her alarm blaring at 5am, "I think today is the day… I feel it." She mumbled to herself as she rolled out of bed to put on her tennis shoes and workout clothes. She coasted through a two-mile run that she is very proud to admit that she can do without dying halfway through. She steps back into her apartment around 7 for a quick shower and blow-dry causing her hair to be straight and fluffy. She puts on low-rise jeans with frayed knees, black tank top under a light weight blue jean button up shirt, that she leaves unbuttoned. She laces up her black combat boots and tucks her jeans into the top. The leather jacket goes on next before she is out the door again to head to Henrik's. Her and Rose arrive at the same time and share a warm smile as they walk in together.

"Hope today fly's by!" Lyla commented lightly.

Rose nods, "Me too."

The morning passes quickly before lunch comes around. They have lunch together with Roses boyfriend Micky, _hahaha Ricky,_ before making their way back to work where the day continues on fast forward for Lyla as she waits patiently for closing time. And before they know the front door man is holding a bag of money for Rose to take down. When Lyla see's it she freezes for half a second before she gets her shit together cause it's the beginning. _I knew it._ She turns to rose, "Want me to go down with you? That way we can leave together and go to the pub Mickey was talking about earlier." When Rose hesitates, Lyla continues with, "And I don't have to wait out in the cold. You know how much I bitch about that."

Rose finally smiles and shakes her head, "Why not."

They both make their way to the basement level to find Wilson. Once they get to the creepy basement hallway Rose calls out to the electrician, "Wilson? Wilson, I've got the lottery money. Wilson, are you there?" We continue down to Wilson's office door and Lyla grabs the handle and rattles the door. "We can't hang about 'cos they're closing the shop. Wilson!" She pauses before muttering under her breath, "Oh, come on."

"I don't think he is here Rose." Lyla said softly trying not to echo in the dank basement.

"We haven't checked everywhere. He probably can't hear us." Rose said while walking further forward. _Or he's dead. I'm so sorry Mr. Wilson._ Off in the distance we hear a clattering and Rose calls out again, "Hello?" She walks forward toward the noise. "Hello, Wilson, it's Rose and Lyla." Lyla hears eerie whispering down the hallway but walks forward after Rose just in case. "Hello? Wi-Wi-lson?" Rose stumbles over the electrician's name. Rose pauses at a door before slowly opening it. The hinges squeak and squeal causing Lyla to wince softly.

"Rose. Really. Let's just go back please. This place is giving me the creeps. Like major creep fest. Grade A horror movie vibe going on Rose."

"Stop being a scaredy cat Lyla. Nothings down here. You watch to many horror movies." Rose absent mindedly replies while walking further into the room and turning to the light switch. The lights hum and flicker to life. _And let there be light on these freaky plastic things._ As they walk further in Rose calls out again for the Chief. "Wilson? Wilson!" The door shuts behind them causing them to turn and run back to it. Rose tries to open it while Lyla keeps watching over her shoulder at the dummies. Lyla turns back towards Rose when she hears her mutter, "You're kidding me." A louder scratching noise is heard behind the two women. Both turn around quickly, "Is that someone mucking about?"

Lyla watches the shop dummy turn its head, she tugs on Roses sleeve to grab her attention. Once Rose turns the Dummy advances on them both with Lyla tugging the still clasped sleeve to walk further away from the dummy. _This is fucking fantastic. I hate dummies and dolls. So not cool. And 1,000 times worse in person._ "Yeah, you got me. Very funny." Rose states while taking a glance behind her as she stumbles back with Lyla. When she faces forward again more dummies start moving towards the pair. "Right, I've got the joke. Whose idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?"

"Rose it's not Derek." Lyla said slowly trying to contain her fear. "Can we run now?" Before they know it they are backed up against the pipes and the first Dummy raises its hand in a chopping manner. _Anytime Doctor! Please don't be late!_

Before the hand can come down on the two, someone grabs Lyla's hand. When she glances over and sees a face that freezes her and makes her jittery at the same time, he whispers "Run."

The two girls take off, being led by the man in leather. They hit the elevator and the closest dummy sticks his arm out and it gets caught in the closing doors. The Doctor grabs and pulls several times before it pops off with a sound like a suction cup coming off glass. The Doctor examines the arm as Rose states the obvious, "You pulled his arm off."

"Yep. Plastic." He said as he tosses the arm at Rose.

"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?"

Lyla sighs, "It's not students Rose. You know I hate to be the one to tell you this but, I told you so!"

Rose doesn't take her eyes off the doctor when she replies, "And I told you, you watch to many horror movies."

"Why would they be students." The Doctor said to Rose and completely ignoring Lyla for the moment.

"I don't know."

"Well, you said it. Why students?"

"'Cos to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students."

"That makes sense. Well down." The Doctor said facing the doors again. He gazes back at Lyla and asks her, "What do you think they are?"

"Living plastic." She said not missing a beat. The Doctor turns around quickly and finally takes a long look at Lyla which causes her to continue her answer. "Well that arm is solid plastic," She points to said arm in Rose's hand, "and they were up and walking around and a bunch at the same time too… That's too sophisticated for man-made robots. So, plastic that's alive. Living plastic." _Well, that was very Sherlockian of me._

He eyes her with a critical look for half a beat and turns back to Rose, "They're not students."

"Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police," Rose states matter-of-factly.

"Rose, they tried to kill us. What do you think happened to Wilson?" Lyla asked as she flicked her eyes back and forth between the other occupants.

"Whose Wilson?" The Doctor asks.

"The Chief Electrician." Rose replies finally looking away from the Doctor and back to her friend. "You think they killed him?" She asked the question toward Lyla but the doctor answered her.

"I don't think. I know they did."

The elevator doors finally opened with Roses call of, "That's just not funny. That's sick!"

"Who said it was funny Rose." Lyla stated as the Doctor turns toward the elevator control panel.

"Hold on. Mind your eyes." He stated as he whipped out his sonic screwdriver and zapped the panel to stop it from moving back up to the dummies.

As he was doing that Rose continued prattling, "I've had enough of this now." Rose was starting to get scared and whimpered out, "Who are you, then?" The Doctor ran past the two girls and Lyla followed while Rose continued in her questioning, "Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?" Rose takes off after the other two.

Once Rose catches up to them, the Doctor answers her question, "Your friend was right. They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." He holds up a small device. "So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me." He opens the back door and shoos the two out on the street. "Now, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shuts the door in their shocked faces. They look at each other with wide eyes and turn back to the door when it starts to open again. "I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your name?"

"Rose"

"Lyla" The two girls said to the leather clad Doctor.

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Lyla. Now run for your lives!" he said then slammed the door shut again.

The two girls ran from the shop. They made it across the street and up a couple blocks before they turned around as one and looked back at their workplace. Just as they turn back around the building goes up in a big explosion and a blast of heat. The top floor windows explode outward and the many people on the street start to run away. The two girls take off down the street at a fast run.

Once Rose and Lyla get to Roses flat, they bust in the door and instantly get mothered by Jackie. Roses tosses the plastic arm, that she has yet to drop in all the mayhem and chaos, in to a chair. The news is playing the story of the department store blaze, Jackie is talking on the phone to a friend about the ordeal, and Lyla easily toons Jackie out and stares absent mindedly at the wall while rubbing at the bracelet that was left for her by the Tardis when she first got here. _I met him. The first—ninth Doctor. I met the Doctor. And he looks exactly like Christopher Eccleston. Holy shit and crackers. It's started. I'm really in the show._

Lyla comes too when Mickey comes barreling in looking all concerned. "I've been phoning your mobile. You could've been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!" He took a seat next to Rose and pulls her into a hug. _Oh, thanks Rickey for all the concern of my well- being. Douche nozzle._

"I'm all right, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss." Rose huffs out as she gently pushes him back into his seat.

At this sight of domestics, Lyla turns to Rose and tells her, "I'm gonna go get a shower then make up the floor to crash on. It's been a day."

Rose looks over and nods while Mickey grabs her attention again. Lyla walks back to Rose's room to grab a spare set of clothes and makes her way to the bathroom.

Once there she strips and considers her reflection in the mirror. She sees wide equally frightened and excited green eyes stare back at her. They roam over her tanned curves and various tattoos that adorn her body. They travel up to her hair, where she sees that she needs to touch up the blonde roots and brighten the purple ends again. Lyla lets out a huge breath and steps into the shower.

The next morning Lyla and Rose are woken rudely by the room owners alarm clock at 7:30. They hear Jackie from the Kitchen shout at us, "There's no point in getting up, sweethearts. You've got no job to go to." They both give great big sighs and slump back into the pillows.

When they both are up and siting in the kitchen with tea, Jackie starts in on getting jobs already. "There's Finch's. You could try them. They've always got jobs."

"Oh, Great. The butchers." Rose states monotonously, just as excited about a new job as Lyla was.

"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. You've both had genuine shock and trauma," Jackie continued as she gets up to leave the room. "Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim." Jackie finished her tale as she entered her bedroom.

"I'm so not interested in hearing about getting a job when mine just exploded." Lyla commented off handedly to Rose causing her to chuckle. Both girls heard what sounded like a cat scratching at the floor when Rose got up angrily from the table.

"Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays." _I would get slapped from here to next week if I talked to my mother like that._

"I did it weeks back." Her mother answered faintly.

"No, you thought about it." Rose mumbled and both girls made their way to the front door where they saw nails on the floor in front of the cat flap. Rose bends down and picks up one nail and at the same time the flap gets pushed open causing Rose to drop the nail quickly with a jump.

"What is it?" Lyla asked with barely contained mirth and giggles. Rose gives her the stink eye and mumbles something that Lyla didn't catch but causes the women to lose control on her barley contained giggles. With a final roll of her eyes Rose bends down lower and flicks the cat flap before fully opening it and peeking through. She jumps up and unbolts the door to open it to the face of the Doctor.

"What are you two doing here?" The doctor stays accusatory.

"I live here." Rose replies.

While Lyla added right after, "I crashed here."

"Well, what do you do that for?"

"Not everyone can live the life of a gypsy Doctor," Lyla replies with a small smile and sparkling eyes.

"Because I do. We're only at home because someone blew up our job," Rose said.

While Rose was answering the doctor, He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and turns it on to a setting. While it buzzed, he commented lightly, "I must have got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" He reaches over and knocks on both girl's foreheads. "No, bonehead. Bye, then." Before he could take a step back Rose and Lyla grabbed him quickly and at different parts of his body. While Rose grabbed his upper arm, Lyla grabbed a lapel of the leather jacket and both girls pulled him back inside the flat.

"You. Inside. Right now," Both girls said at the same time.

"Who is it?" Jackie asked from her bedroom.

Lyla still has a hold of the Doctors coat while Rose goes and talks to her mother. "It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes."

The Doctor steps into Jackie's doorway and she exclaimed, "She deserves compensation."

"Oh, we're talking millions." The Doctor indulges.

Before the whole awkward conversation between the two can really begin, Lyla walks off toward the living room and muses to herself, _so incredibly dense, he is. And Jackie thinking that something could happen… what a laugh._

When the Doctor finished his conversation with Jackie he made his way to the living room to see Rose was trying to straighten up, "Don't mind the mess. Do you want coffee?"

"Might as well, thanks. Just milk," He replies. He looks over at Lyla to see that she is leaning against the door frame that enters the kitchen. He makes note that she is wearing the same clothes as yesterday minus the blue jean shirt and her hair is down and in its natural curly state. Blonde and purple hair carelessly flying around her.

"And you Lyla?"

"Unless you want to make sweet iced tea then I'm fine Rose." Lyla answers with a cheeky smile.

"UGH. You and your southern tastes."

Rose wanders back into the kitchen where Lyla instantly ignores her in exchange to watching the Doctor fool around with random objects. He picks up a paperback book and flips through at a rapid speed like looking at some flipbook art work. "Hmm. Sad ending." He sets that down and moves toward the mirror in the room but something catches his eye or he is just being down right nosey when he picks up a piece of mail. "Rose Tyler," He reads. He finally blinks up into the mirror and examines his image. "Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears."

"I like the ears." Lyla states off handedly. He turns to look at her where she is lounged against the door frame still, and gives her a disarming look and sweeps his eyes up her body in a lightning fast manner again.

He ignores her for the moment and gets back to browsing the space. He sees a deck of cards and starts to sing, "Luck be a lady." He tries to shuffle and loses control causing them to fly everywhere. "Maybe not." He replies to Lyla, who is laughing her ass off at the display. He gives a small smile but then hears something that sounds like a cat behind the couch. "Have you got a cat," he asks as he makes his way towards the noise.

"No, she doesn't have a cat," Lyla replies. She doesn't have much time from him asking the question to the Dummies arm to latch itself to the Doctors throat.

Lyla toons back into Rose, "We did have, but now they're just strays. They come in off the estate," Rose adds while the Doctor tries to pry the hand off with Lyla's help now.

Rose walks in with two mugs of coffee and glances at the two struggling to release the hand. "I told Mickey to chuck that out. You're all the same. Give a man a plastic hand. And you Lyla, playing along. Anyway, I don't even know your name. Doctor, what was it?"

While Rose was talking, Lyla is frantically searching the Doctors pockets for the sonic screwdriver. _Where is it! Come on. You stupid alien, with your bigger on the inside pockets!_ When Lyla's fingers find purchase, she pulls it out suddenly and turns it over in her hand will moving dials trying to make it look like she was just figuring out how it worked but in her head, she was pleading with the sonic, _Come on, you beautiful piece of tech. Your slightly telepathic if the Tardis built you so listen to me. Setting for cutting off the signal._

She thought hard at the device and then pointed it at the plastic arm and pushed the button to hear the comforting buzz of the screwdriver. The arm instantly released and flew at Roses face where it cut off her breathing. The three flailed around before the Doctor took the sonic out of Lyla's hands and used the right setting to disperse the signal. He pressed the tip to the center of the wrist and the arm stopped moving completely. "It's all right, I've stopped it. There you go, you see? Armless." He tossed the arm at Rose who caught it and proceeded to hit the Doctor in the arm.

"Do you think." She said.

The three made their way outside to the stairs leading out to the courtyard and street. Rose was complaining the whole way down. "Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off."

"Yes, I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you two."

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill me."

Lyla sighs, "It was trying to kill him first. We just happened to be in the way Rose."

"Your friends right."

"You can't just walk away. That's not fair. You've got to tell us what's going on." Rose whined.

"He doesn't." "I don't," both were said at the same time. Doctor spared Lyla a glance over his shoulder as they hit the final flight of stairs down.

"All right, then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking." Rose said as we finally reached the doors leading outside. _She's so not tough._ Lyla decided just to zone out of the conversation for the moment. She knows what's gonna be said. She keeps pace with the other two but her mind wanders to future events and adventures that she may get to go on if this all ends right. _I wonder what Jack will look like when he's just a head. Will it be like on T.V. or will it be slightly gross to look at a floating head that speaks through telepathy._ She pauses in her thoughts before she remembers some of her favorite parts of the upcoming adventures. _Does the Doctor dance. I'm do gonna find out though!_ She gives a silent chuckle of mirth before realizing that it is time to toon back in.

" _-_ the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?" Lyla gets excited cause one of her favorite parts of this episode is about to happen. Right here in front of her. _Oh, my fucking god. If he grabs my hand I may swoon._

"Yes," Lyla instantly answers his question and he eyes her in surprise.

"Thought I lost your attention a while back."

"I'm always paying attention Doctor." Lyla smiles back at him.

"No, I don't believe," Rose finally answers the question that was originally posed to just her.

"But you're still listening."

Rose stops walking causing Lyla to stop by her side as well, "Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?" Rose asks again.

"He's the Doctor." Lyla replies with a shoulder bump to Rose. "And I thought out of the two of us you would be the shoe-in to being the only one to listen his prattling." The doctor gives a "Oi" but Lyla continues with a slightly confused face. "Wait, when did you grab the arm? I didn't see that." Rose and the Doctor bust out laughing with Lyla joining in moments later.

Once everyone is serious again the Doctor turns to both paused girls and speaks with a faint smile, "Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving?" He walks towards the two girls one smiling and eyes sparkling and the other with a face full of disbelief. "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still." He pauses in his little monologue and grabs each of the girl's hands, "I can feel it." And for a split-second Lyla thinks she can too. "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and Lyla and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go." He drops their hands but contemplates the two but lingering a bit longer on Lyla. "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler and Lyla. Go home." He walks off toward the blue box.

"Come on," Rose said while pulling Lyla back and around. They start walking back to the flats when the engines of the Tardis can be heard. Both girls turn quickly and run back to where they were to see the blue box gone.

"I think I'm gonna go home. I need a new change of clothes and stuff. Call me if you eat anywhere tonight ok!" Lyla shouted to Rose as they split in different directions. Rose gives the affirmative and waves goodbye.

Lyla makes her way to her apartment and stops in on her landlady to tell her that she will be traveling for the next year.

She knocks on the door and hears shuffling and a faint call of "Coming." The door swings open and an elderly woman steps out and gives Lyla a large smile.

"Lyla Dear. What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?" Mrs. Brown said.

"I'm just dropping by to tell you that I will be traveling for the next year if you could keep a watch over my flat and make sure that you don't rent it out to anyone else while I'm gone. I know I paid a couple years in advance so rent shouldn't be a problem and all other bills come out of the bank automatically so they should be good as well. I was just stopping by to give you a warning and to get somethings as well." She finishes her spill with a smile.

The Landlady smiles fondly at her best resident and nods her head, "Of course dearie. Nothing will happen to it and I'll place your mail once a week on your table and make sure everything is still working fine."

"Oh, you are a life saver Mrs. Brown." She bends and gives the woman a hug. "See you in a couple months then." She waves bye as she walks up the stairs to her third-floor apartment. _Well that's done. Now where did I stash that backpack._

She unlocks her door and quickly gathers the few precious belongings that she has acquired over the last 9 months in this universe. She crawls into the back of her closet to grab the bigger on the inside backpack and starts shoving things into it. The supped up laptop, her cell phone, journal, wallet, and physic paper all find their way into the backpack. She places that on the bed before going back into her closet to change out of her two day old clothes. She comes out wearing more ripped jeans but with a black AC/DC t-shirt and red plaid button up top instead. Her boots go back on her socked feet and she turns to the bathroom to mess with her hair. She pulls the curly mass up into a messy bun that doesn't exactly fit the trends of day.

She makes her way to the kitchen and starts emptying out the fridge and perishable foodstuff. She drags the trash to the door before she bends down and picks up her converses and places them in her bag. She loops that around her shoulders and makes her way downstairs to take out the trash.

Once she heaves the overly stuffed trash into the dumpster, her phone starts to ring. She digs through her bag and grabs the phone. Flipping it up before her hand had come completely out of the bag.

"Hey." She said into the phone she presses it to her ear.

"We decided on pizza tonight. The normal place." Rose said.

"OK sounds good. See you there." She hangs up and makes her way back up to her apartment to lock everything up.

Once done she heads for the pizza parlor.

At the pizza restaurant, Lyla is staring at Mickey like he is a contagious disease. She's slowly inching her way away from him but closer to Rose in the process. Lyla rubs the bracelet as she watches the two interact. "Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going in the canteen. Is that it then, dishing out chips. I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up. What do you think?" And Rose is completely oblivious that her boyfriend is now a plastic person. _Like seriously. Every time he opens his mouth he gets creepier._

But plastic Mickey gives no fucks when changing the subject, "So, where did you meet this Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second." _Go Rose. Give it back to him. If he was human right now I would've said burn. Even if he didn't get the reference. Cause that's classic._

"Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" But plastic Mickey plows on. _Way to be inconspicuous. Slow Clap for that award-winning performance._

"No."

"Come on."

"Sort of," _It's like watching a tennis match. Well, if I ever did go to a tennis match. Watching tennis on the Wii is the same thing though, Right?_

"What was he doing there?"

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey. Really, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous." _Completely wrong and completely right. What a fucking contradiction the Doctor is. Huh, just noticed that._

 _"_ But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart." _And the creep factor sky rocketed up to 10,000._

"What're you doing that for?" Rose asks. _Finally, you get a fucking clue. Just took creep-olla being extra creepy. 10 would have called you Mrs. Thickity Thick from Thickville Thickvana._

"Your Champagne." Lyla blinks up at the voice and the Doctor throws her a wink when Plastic Mickey answers Rose with another question.

"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?"

"Madam, your champagne." The Doctor tries again. Lyla just gives a quiet laugh while discreetly pulling away from the table for a quick getaway.

"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?" She reaches across the table to grab Plastic Mickeys hand. _That should have been a DEAD giveaway Rose. He's all hard and cold and shiny and PLASTIC. This obliviousness is starting to be on the level of the Doctor. Rose, you should be ashamed._

 _"_ I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" Mickey tries again. _Well give the plastic a medal. At least he's persistent. The 1_ _st_ _place prize and medal goes to Plastic RICKEY for great determination and horrible observant skills._

 _"_ Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" The Doctor tries for a third time.

"Look, we didn't order it," Plastic Mickey finally looks up to at the doctor, "Ah. Gotcha."

The Doctor starts to shake the bubbly, "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" He pulls the wire and the cork soars into the forehead of Plastic Mickey.

He starts to move is jaw and mouth around before he spits out the cork onto the table. Lyla is already up and out of her seat and close to the fire alarm that she scoped out before she sat down. Plastic Mickey glares back up at the Doctor, "Anyway." Plastic Mickey stands quickly sending his chair toppling and turns his hand into a paddle.

"Oh, that's just kinky Plastic Mickey." Lyla said loud enough that the Doctor and Rose heard her.

Rose gets up and rushes to Lyla's side while the Doctor grabs Plastic Mickey in a headlock and starts to pull. Once the head gives away with a sickening pop, the head talks, "Don't think that's going to stop me." A man, from the couple sitting in a booth close by, gives a shrill scream causing Rose to slam her hand against the fire alarm as the Plastic body starts doing some destruction. _I'm not a willing audience for Plastic Mickey Destruction Derby tonight._

"Everyone out! Out now! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Rose shouts to the occupants.

The Doctor tosses the head at Lyla, who catches it, and grabs the girls hands and makes his way through the kitchen and out the backdoor where he locks it with the screwdriver. Rose runs to the other door in the alley way, "Open the gate! Use that tube thing. Come on!"

Lyla, still holding the Doctors hand and the head, gazes up at him and over at the blue box. "Nah, tell you what, let's go in here." He pulls Lyla along with him into the box.

He drops Lyla's hand and takes back the head and makes his way to the console to hook up Plastic Mickey. Lyla's eyes grow big and fill with tears as she regards the room. "Beautiful." She whimpers out. She goes up to a piece of the coral and lovingly strokes a bit of it. _I'm here. After 9 months and buckets of tears. I'm finally here._ She completely ignores Rose when she comes barreling in and rushing back out and back in again. Lyla just has a soft smile on her face as she gapes with awe and happiness. What she doesn't see is the Doctor watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"It's going to follow us!" Rose shouts as she rushes back in.

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute." _Rude and not Ginger._ He finishes hooking up the head, "You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right. Where do you want to start?" He finally turns back to the girls. He gives Lyla a curious look but focuses on Rose for the minute.

"How do you get the outside around the inside?" Lyla asks with a curious air as she makes her way slowly up to the console.

"That's a bit technical for you." He replies with a wide smile.

"Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose finally stammers out.

"Yes"

"It's Alien"

"Yes"

"Cool" Lyla, always the one for weird reactions.

"Are you alien?"

"Yes, Is that alright."

"So, alright." Lyla said faintly.

"Yeah."

"It's called the Tardis, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." The Doctor said in a lecturing tone. _Always one to teach._ After hearing that Rose busts into tears and Lyla rushes to her side for comfort. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

"It's not culture shock. You just pulled off her boyfriend's head." Lyla said disapprovingly at the leather clad alien. _Dense. Gonna have to teach him manners. Again, I say rude and not ginger._

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose finally asks after she gets her tears under control.

Lyla is quick to answer with a quick warning glance to the Doctor, "Of course not. They have to keep him to make more, Right?" With the last word, she peers up at the Doctor for confirmation. _Play the part. I should get nominated for an award or something._

Before he can answer Rose is already starting in, "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" He turns around and looks back at the head that is indeed melting into the console. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He starts running around the console pushing and flicking buttons to make the Tardis move. _I hope it's not as bumpy as the last time I was here. I wish I would have gotten the time to take a closer look then. But you know things happened. All the things. I guess being kidnapped does that to you. Fixes your priorities and all._

"What're you doing?" Rose asks.

"Following the signal. It's fading." He pauses at the monitor for a second, "Wait a minute, I've got it." He shakes his head and runs around the console again, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He comes back to the monitor, "Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!" The Tardis makes its wheezing sound and rumbles and shakes a bit but nothing like last time Lyla was aboard the Tardis.

Once the ship lands he races for the door while Rose scolds "You can't go out there. It's not safe," but follows soon after him.

Lyla stays where she is for a bit trying to wrap her mind around that she is indeed in the Tardis again and with the right alien this time. She strokes a part of the console again and feels a humming and warmth in the back of her head. She gazes down at the bracelet that adorned her wrist since the day she got here and sees that its glowing a soft gold color. _What the what!_ She panics slightly until she feels another warmth pass over her and calms again. She speaks softly to the time rotor, "Will you explain this piece of jewelry to your best ability Sexy? Please?" A confirmation hum echoes through her head. She starts making her way to the hallway and sets her backpack, that the Tardis originally supplied her with, into the corner. With that she makes her way back up to the console and heads for the doors. She sends out one last thought and stroke before she leaves the ship, _can you hide that bit of hallway until I get back? Thank you, Sexy. And it's good to see you in better conditions. And thanks for the stuff it was very thoughtful._

"Anti-plastic." Lyla hears Rose comment. _Ah yass, we're getting to one of my favorite parts._

"Anti-plastic. But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?" The Doctor contemplated.

"Wait, what does what look like." Lyla asked the Doctor as he walked toward the railing.

"Oi, and where have you been?" He asked ignoring Lyla's question all together.

"On the Tardis. Where else would I be?" She said with a raised eyebrow.

He shakes his head a bit and answers the original question, "The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"And what does that look like," Rose asked.

"Like a transmitter."

"Oh, that's helpful, Thanks." Lyla sarcastically added. _Daft. Old. Alien. And if he calls me a stupid chimp or monkey I'm gonna neuter him._

But the Doctor powers on, "Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London. A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible."

Lyla turns to Rose, "I got this." She walks up to the leather clad alien and takes his face in-between her hands. She smooches so he can say anything and turns his whole body around. He is just staring at her with eyes full on disbelief. She releases his face and nudges his head up until he is looking at the London Eye. "Or completely obvious, you daft old alien."

He stares for a second before looking back down at Lyla with a big cheesy grin plastered all over his face. "Fantastic." _Swoon._ He grabs Lyla's hand and Lyla grabs Rose's while they run to get closer to the Eye.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables…"

"The breast implants," Rose said with a straight face and Lyla busts out laughing at the mental image that springs forth. _Seriously Kim Kardashian would be totally taken over._

The Doctor continues over the laughs of the two girls, "Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

Rose and Lyla split apart to look over various railings and it's a few minutes before Rose calls out to the other two, "What about down here?" They rush to her side to see what she had found.

The Doctor studies it for a second, "Looks good to me."

They climb down the manhole and into a red lite space full of stairs, platforms, and chains. _I could get lost in here._ The Doctor quietly speaks to them about what they see in the middle of the space, "The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

"It kinda just looks like lava…" Lyla states off- handedly. _Class A Observation Lyla! You Ditz. You deserved to be called a stupid chimp after that observation._

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose whispered.

"We can't just kill it." Lyla protests. _Right time to focus! The game changer would be to save all the lives but to do that I need to be fast when saving the Doctor. So no mucking about and watching stuff unfold for once. Be proactive Lyla!_

"She right. We need to give it a chance." The Doctor whispers back before standing tall and walking towards the railing overlooking the vat. "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."

The vat of flowy red stuff flexes and growls.

"Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?"

Rose peruses the space carefully and spots Mickey huddled against the railing. She rushes off to him, "Oh, God! Mickey, it's me! It's okay. It's all right."

Mickey, scared out of his mind, stutters when he replies, "That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, it can talk."

Rose and Lyla, who followed her down the steps knowing that they would cave in sometime soon, gets a big whiff of Mickey, "You're stinking. Doctor, they kept him alive."

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." The doctor said as he walked down the stairs to seek audience with the Consciousness.

"I was right!" Lyla fists bumps the air in happiness. _Not the time Lyla! Later you can gloat to their faces and say I told you so. Lives to save. Now where was that chain and axe._

"Oi. Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" The Doctor threw over his shoulder as he clambered down another flight of stairs.

Once he reached the platform overlooking the vat, he addresses the liquid, "Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" He finished with a humorless chuckle and smile.

The liquid forms a face and growls and flexes again. _Seriously what bad guy just takes the Doctors advice. I'll tell you! None. Cause they all think they are right and just. How does that saying go? The end doesn't justify the means._

"Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights." The Consciousness tries to interrupt the Doctor but he has had enough, "I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go." _That kinda reminds me of 10. With the whole Lion King debacle._

Rose and Lyla both see the advancing Dummies at the same time and shout to get the Doctors attention, "Doctor!" but they were to slow. _Mother plucking popsicles. How did I forget that? Cause I'm to busy watching actions unfold when I should be trying to change the events._

The dummies grab the Doctor and put him in a hold that he is struggling to break free from. The other searches his pockets and pulls out the anti-plastic and the face in the vat screams in outrage. "That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not." The liquid growls some more and thrashes about in its vat. "What do you mean?" a door slides away to reveal the Tardis that has a spot light placed on it. "No. Oh, no. Honestly, no. Yes, that's my ship." The thing growls and is starting to get more aggressive. "That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" the Doctor cries out as the Consciousness starts to thrash about and scream its outrage.

"What's it doing." Rose asks fearfully.

"It's the Tardis. The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Lyla! Just leg it now!"

Rose steps back and pulls out her phone and calls her mother. "Do you think now is a good time for that… the worlds about to end." Lyla said with an air of boredom as she looks around for something specific and ignores the phone conversation. The Consciousness starts throwing around energy bolts and stairs start to collapse around them. _Ah! Yes! Found it!_

"It's the activation signal. It's transmitting!"

"It's the end of the world." Rose whimpers.

"So dramatic!" Lyla yells where she is standing by an axe and chain. She picks it up and slams it into the lock keeping the chain in place. She whispers to herself, "I've got no family. No degree. No life beyond the present. But you do know what I have got…. A country living childhood. This is just like swinging over a 40-foot creek bed." She takes a running leap off the platform and sails right over and kicks one holding the anti-plastic into the vat. When she swings back she sees that the Doctor threw his captive off as well and is waiting to catch Lyla as she swings back. He wraps his arms around her waist as she let go of the chain she was clutching with white knuckles.

"Now we're in trouble." They hurry up the stairs toward Mickey and Rose. The Doctor opens the door and everyone falls in. The Doctor gets them quickly out of the sewer and is landing in a back alley a couple streets away. _I did it! I cut down the time that the activation signal was out. Those dummies shouldn't have gotten far from their original starting places. So, the results should be that a lot less people died. I wonder if I saved Clive? I'll look it up later. More important things like getting on the Tardis as a companion._

Mickey rushes out and is huddled against some trashcans. _Pussy._ Rose is on the phone with her mother again and she smiles and laughs has she hangs up. Lyla follows Rose out but stops a couple feet away from the Tardis doors while the Doctor causally leans against the side. "Nestene Consciousness," he snaps his fingers together, "Easy!".

"You would have die if it wasn't for Lyla."

"Yes, I would. Thank you, Lyla." He gives her a soft small and continues while never taking his eyes off her, wanting to see her reaction to his next statement. "Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you two could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

Lyla blinks a couple of times but peeks back at Rose with pleading eyes. _Come on Rose, don't be an idiot._

"You should go Lyla." Rose said quietly as Mickey hugs her legs like a lost child.

"Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing." Mickey exclaimed.

"He's not invited. What do you think? You two could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere," the Doctor said.

Lyla tilts her head and watches the Doctor as he talks and when he's finished she instantly walks over, "Yes. I'd love that. I'd really love that."

"Great! That's fantastic." He exclaims.

Lyla turns and looks at Rose, "Come with us Rose! It'll be fun and unforgettable. We can see the stars and eat weird food and have great adventures."

She peeks down at Mickey, who whimpers a little, "Yeah, I can't. I've er, I've got to go and find my mum and someone's got to look after this stupid lump, Lyla have fun though."

With that Lyla and the Doctor make their way into the Tardis. She walks up to the Captain's chair and sits down and watches the Doctor start the dematerlization sequence before she speaks up with a smile and a raised eyebrow, "You know I don't think you told her it was a time machine."

"You know what. Your right." He rushes around the console as Lyla lets out a joyous laugh. He rushes towards the doors and moments later he steps aside for Rose to run in. _He's right, this is going to be Fantastic._


	3. The End of the World

**Chapter 2**

"Right then. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" He was tossing a gadget up and down in one hand while he asked the two girls where the next adventure was going to be.

Rose made it up the ramp and looked over at Lyla, who was lounging back in the Captain's chair. Lyla smiled at Rose mischievously "Forwards." a small laugh escaped her smiling lips when Rose answered with a small shake of the head and roll of the eyes.

He set down the bouncing gadget, flipped two switches and looked back up to the girls, ready to fulfill the request. "How far?"

"10,000 years," Lyla got up from the chair and ambled over to the other two occupants.

He spun a wheel, pulled a lever, and turned a dial. As soon as the last dial was turned the Tardis started to move through the vortex. The occupants held tightly to the console as the ship shook and rumbled toward the future. The Tardis landed and the Doctor turned the dial back to where it was originally. He straightened and gestured toward the Tardis door, "There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire."

"You're kidding," fascination written all over Rose's face.

Lyla looked longingly at the doors, desperately wanting to see what 12,005 held, but she knew that they needed to end up 5 billion years further in the future to stick to timelines. She looked back at the Doctor and saw him looking at her waiting for a response, "You think you're so impressive." Lyla gave him a cheeky grin.

"I am so impressive," he looked affronted at the wild haired girl.

"Prove it." She said back with a wink and lowered eyes. _No one told me that I can't have fun and mess with him. And by mess…. I mean flirt. Cause he was stupidly cute all flustered._

A faint tint of red rose up his neck and ears, "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go." He spun the wheel furiously forward, pumped a bicycle looking pump several times and turned the dial once more. "Hold on!" The Tardis flew through the vortex and with a final dial turn and ring of a bell, just to show off, he stood tall and gestured grandly toward the door.

"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asked while looking back and forth from the door to the Doctor. Lyla was already moving with a bounce in her step as she hit the door and stepped out in to a large open room. _God, it's beautiful,_ she sighed. _This architecture. T.V does not give it justice._ She walked down the steps and stood before the shutters, waiting to see the wonder behind it.

Rose was quick to follow Lyla but stopped. Shortly after Rose came the Doctor who walked over toward a control panel. He soniced it, a few beeps later and the shutters over the windows shifted open it to give the room a shockingly beautiful view of the earth and sun.

He stood at Lyla's back and spoke softly to the two women. "You lot," Lyla jumped a bit when the Doctor started talking, not noticing his position had become so close to her. "You spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids." All eyes still gazed upon the earth. "But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/ apple/ 26. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day," he stopped and looked at his watch for a couple of seconds. Rose looked over at him but Lyla's eyes never left the earth and sun in front of her. _I never thought I would be here. Get to see this._ The sun gave a flare as he finishes with,"This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

Lyla gave a bone shuttering sigh as she stared upon the expanding sun. Her mind far away in a different universe. "Did you know that I wanted to be an astronomer." Lyla said softly. Afraid she would break any other way as she gave a little of herself to her new travel partners, "Back when I was little. I would stare at the stars laying on an old trampoline that we had in the back yard. My dad would be lying beside me and he would ask me, 'What do you see up there sweetheart?'" She could hear her dad talking softly as they admired the moon and stars while lying on the trampoline on a cool May summer night. "Being just a kid, I would answer back, 'Just the stars' daddy.' He would laugh and tell me to look at the moon. 'That's the same moon that the dinosaurs watched, the same one that Aztecs and Egyptians saw, and the same one that Jesus walked under.'" The sounds of bull frogs croaking in the creak, a pack of coyotes singing their nightly song, the wind in the tress like dull chimes, and scuttling of tiny paws on dead leaves accompanied her dads voice has he told her a story. "He'd look over at me and would tell me a story of my great- grandparents. Back when my grandfather was in the war and he left my grandmother back in the states. He'd write to her and tell her to look at the moon and think of him and of everyone else that has walked under its light. And they could share that special moment under the moons glow. Halfway across the world and they would always have the moon as a common theme to get them through the trying times." Lyla finished the tale and turned back to the Doctor and Rose with tears in her eyes. "The stories that the sun and moon could tell after it watched over the earth and it's just going to be whipped out from the sky. Not even the moon to stand witness."

With a faraway look in his eyes, the Doctor opened his mouth to say something but the computer interrupted, "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39. Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."

Lyla gave a shake of her head, wiped her eyes, and gave a big sniffle before looking up at the Doctor again, "Let's go see the guest then." She walked off toward the door, not waiting for an answer.

The three made their way into the hallway when Rose, who had moved to Lyla's side and was giving silent comfort, asked the Doctor, "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?"

The question pulled Lyla out of her melancholy mood that reminiscing gave her, "Rose, it's 5 billion years in the future. I really hope that there are aliens besides leather here." She gestures with her head and gave a giggle when she saw his face all screwed up in false annoyance.

"Lyla's right. All different types will probably be in attendance to this occasion." He said still looking put out about the leather comment. "And what's wrong with this jacket?" He asked the Texan.

"Nothing. I like the jacket. It's a very distinctive look." She replied as she watched him mess with a control panel again. She gestured to all of him when she continued, "The whole tough guy, brooding act works for you." She gave a wink and a half smile as she said softly so only he could hear her, "It's very sexy."

With a snap of the neck in her direction, he stared in open disbelief as one of his companions called him sexy. It's not the first time one has but it was the first time that he felt shy and embarrassed over it. He was saved by Rose continuing the earlier conversation.

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked confused.

"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"What for?"

"Fun." The Doctor finally got the door open and they made their way into the main observation room. "Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."

"Of course." Lyla grumbled to herself but the Doctor caught it, giving her a look of contemplation. Lyla, being the ever-curious cat, looked around at several of the display cases and itched to explore on her own without having to worry about plot and not wanting to miss anything important. _Later. I can look later. At least I get to see Jack,_ with that thought her spirits lifted considerably.

Rose, struggled to keep up physically, asked in a curious tone, "But, hold on. They did this once on _Newsround_ Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."

"Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved." All three made it to another window, while he continued, "See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over." _The real question is why out of the 5 billion years did they pick this continent formation. What's so special about this early earth? Man, that was deep. I need to get that checked._

"How long's it got?" Rose asked with a side glance and a slight upturn of her lips.

The Doctor looked at his watch again, "About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted." He looked over at Rose with a closed lipped grin.

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"I'm not saving it. Time's up." He popped the 'p' and turned back to the window.

"But what about the people?" Rose asked with an air of disbelief and worry.

"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."

"Just us, then." Rose said softly while turning from the Doctor and looking back to a classic earth. Lyla came up behind her and grabbed her hand in silent camaraderie even though Lyla knew that there were humans that had expanded out into the universe. _We are not alone._

Rose didn't get long to contemplate their aloneness before a rude voice sounded through the room and came behind the three. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, that's nice. Thanks." The doctor said with a patronizing smile toward the blue man.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now." Lyla looked at the blue man, a flash of sorrow and deep sadness overcame her face and thoughts, _I'm so sorry that I can't save you. But your death causes the Doctor to find out about the nature of the spiders. I'm so sorry._ She pulled herself together and looked down at her hands, hands that were rubbing the gifted bracelet that adorned her wrist. Like always, when she was nervous, she found herself playing with the delicate chain. She continued to look at her hands, trying to calm her anxious nerves, and to stop the obvious pain and sorrow that was written on her face. _Oh, sweet Mary, this just became all too real._

"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation." The Doctor pulled out the physic paper and showed it to the Steward. "Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler and Lyla. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" He finished with a large grin.

"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." He replied still in an annoyed voice. He walked over to a clear glass lectern.

The Doctor showed the paper, that he used for the invitation, toward the two girls and lowered his voice as he explains, "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."

Lyla gave the paper a quick scan before looking back down and away from his eyes, "That paper's blank." She said off handedly, still lost in her morose thoughts about the fate of the steward and how everything got too real for her to handle at the moment. _OK, suck it up sweetheart. Compose yourself. Conceal, don't feel. Freak out later in private._ She blew out a breath to calm her nervous. She almost missed the Doctor replying as she was so lost in her own thoughts.

"Well that's brilliant," he studies her with a critical eye. He notices her mood and how it had turned an about-face from fascinated curiosity to deep sadness as her eyes refused to meet his and strayed toward the steward.

"He's blue." Rose said mystified. _Well spotted Blondie._ The comment pulled Lyla out of her mood, if only marginally, and finally gave herself a mental shake.

"Yeah." The Doctor replied, a huge grin returning to his face as he looked away from Lyla and towards Rose.

"We have in attendance the Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Lyla. Thank you. All staff to their positions." He gave three small claps and small blue people started shuffling around the room preparing for the other guests. "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa." The guests that walked through are humanoid version of trees. One female and two male trees. The male trees following Jabe. Their bark was a dark drown color with woody vines all along their bodies.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." A little fat blue man on a type of hover board type seat strolled in next.

"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." The droids walked in covered in black robes that have accents of gold around the hood and sleeves.

"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." Fur lined hoods adorn reptilian like aliens walked in next.

"Cal Spark Plug." Two hood covered machine looking beings came next.

"Mister and Mrs. Pakoo." Bird like aliens came through the door.

"The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light." A flesh colored, wrinkled faced alien came next.

Lyla got cut off from watching the aliens that came in, when the Trees stepped before the three. "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." The Doctor took the cutting but handed it off to Rose quickly. She took the cutting with a stupefied expression as she stared at her first non-looking alien.

"Thank you. Yes, gifts." He patted down his pockets fruitlessly. Lyla saw his brain turning for what to give as a gift.

Lyla saved the day when she pulled out a slightly smashed pack of gum from her back pocket. "A stick of _Big Red_.It's gum. You chew it to give your mouth something to do other than talk uselessly." She casted a bemused look at the Doctor. "Be careful it's a little spicy if you're not use to it." _Thank the lords that I remembered to buy a new pack before I left earth._

"Thank you." Jabe said, a little confused at the gift but taking it none the less.

"You and that god-awful gum." Rose said mockingly and a roll of the eyes.

"Please, I just saved this one from making a fool of himself." Lyla said playfully and with a shoulder bump against the Doctor.

"Oi!" The Doctor exclaimed at the playful insult. _Get over it big ears._

"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe" The steward continued his announcements of each new guest. The Face of Boe was just that. A head floating in a liquid type substance. _Jack! I'm so fucking excited to talk to him._

Lyla's attention was diverted from Jack and back toward the Doctor as he introduced the next guest to Rose and Lyla. "The Moxx of Balhoon." Lyla stepped to the side behind the Doctor, pretending to take something from Rose to not rise suspicion of moving out of the way. _I am not getting any bodily fluid in the face. Not today dude._

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva." He spat directly in Rose's eye. She flinched back and wiped her eye with an 'eww' face. _Dudes got pinpoint aim!_ Lyla moved back to her original spot beside the Doctor.

The Doctor gave a smile and chuckled at Rose before he turned back toward the Moxx of Balhoon. "Thank you very much." He handed over a stick of gum that Lyla dutifully handed him as he explained what it was before Moxx moved on.

"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you a stick of gum." He handed over the stick of gum.

He was quickly cut off from the Adherents when they thrust out one of their metal claw like things that held a metal sphere. "A gift of peace in all good faith." The Doctor took the ball, tossing it up and down before handing it to Lyla. She took the sphere carefully and slowly examined the outside before shaking it like a present on Christmas morning.

She then handed it over to Rose so she could look as well. As she was handing it over Rose was giving her a funny look, "What? You never did that on Christmas." At the blank look Rose gave her, she continued, "Don't judge me." Lyla stuck out her tongue at the blonde girl as her attention was caught again by the steward announcing the last guest of the day.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." The doors opened to revel skin stretched tight and clamped between two poles. She was followed by men dressed in white and carrying spray nozzles attached to a canister. _It would be so easy just to tell everyone that she is about to cause but I can't prove it. And the Doctor…. Oh, he would be… Well I don't know how he would act. But none of them are probably good or pleasant._ A wave of different emotions crashed into Lyla as she laid eyes on the skin. Rage, because of the situation that Cassandra puts everyone in and all for money. Remorse, because she could do nothing to stop it but let it play out and hope to save a few people along the way. Uneasiness, because what would the Doctor think about her playing god with situations that could become so easily disastrous and so quickly.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." The boys each sprayed her down with the stuff in the canisters. "Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry." One of the boys patted her eyes with a tissue before she went on, "But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity," Rose began to walk around her while Lyla and the Doctor watch. She walked fully around the talking skin and was staring in shock at the flatness and obscenity that was calling herself the last human. _She's more gross in person then what she looked like on T.V._ "According to the archives, this was called an iPod." An old- fashioned jukebox was carted in and put on display for the guests. "It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

 _Tainted Love_ started to play over the old- fashioned jukebox. The steward announced, "Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes."

The Doctor shared a big goofy smile with Lyla before he started bobbing his head in time to the beat. _God, he is a huge ass dork. Its insanely cute._ Lyla gave a loud laugh but stopped quickly when she saw that Rose bolted from the room and into the hallway. The Doctor grabbed Lyla's hand to drag her along but she stopped him with a quick tug of the hand to pulled him to a stop, "Go talk to her. I'm Fine." He gave her a look like he didn't believe her. "Promise. I'm just gonna mingle and talk to the sponsor of the event," She pointed off toward Boe. She gave the Doctor a smile and a wink before she pushed him gently toward the door, "Go. I got this. I won't freak." _Well I may swoon cause JACK. But he's a head right now so that's a little gross. But still JACK._

"Alright. Alright. Don't get pushy."

He went after Rose as Lyla made her way to Boe. "Hello Jack. You look good for your age."

His head gave a small bobble and a hearty laugh could be heard in her head. _**Hello little goddess. I haven't been called that in a very long time Nox. How's the adventures going.**_

"Well this is technically the first. So, it's going well so far." She paused and looked down at her feet before she continued softly, "I'm scared. What if I can't save everyone I set out to save. What if there is someone that I could've saved but didn't because it would have been to hard or caused suspicion for me. What if I fail to right the wrong that was done. What if he abandons me." She trailed off with tears in her eyes.

Jack tsked, _**Nox, you'll be fine. Want to know how I know. There's three reasons. One, I'm taking cold showers the whole time I'm here.**_ _Well at least I saved Ruffalo._ _ **Two, I know you and I know what you will do. Everything will be fine. Especially when you find out about that bracelet you keep fiddling with. And three, I'm here. That means the event you fear happened.**_

 _And there goes the mood._ "I'm so sorry Jack. All those years. All that pain." Lyla quietly spoke while she continued to look down at her feet in devastating sadness for what she will put Jack through.

 _ **Stop apologizing little goddess. My life was long and overall, happy. Yes, there were rough patches and bad times but overall it was beautiful. I saw things, meet people, and stopped the universe ending several times. Those things forever changed me, for the better. You let me experience that. Now suck it up buttercup and go explore the stars.**_

She gave a watery laugh and nodded her head. "Okay. I already love you Jack. I can't wait to meet you for the first time." _I really can't. Nothing good can come from two Americans getting together._

 _ **I love you too Lyla. Till next time.**_

Lyla smiled and walked backward still facing Jack when she replied with a cheeky smile, "See you in 23 years Boe." She turned around with Jacks' laughter echoing in her head and a small bittersweet smile on her face.

Lyla made her way from the viewing room trying to find where Rose and the Doctor scampered off to, when the computer announces, "Earth Death in twenty-five minutes."

Lyla wandered down a hallway when she heard escalated voices from room up ahead. _Bet you 100 bucks I know who that is._ She slowly and silently stepped through the door and leaned against the wall beside it as she watched the scene unfold. She saw the two sitting on the ledge with the stairs in between them and she witnessed the agitation flare between them as Rose continued her hard-pressed questions.

"Tell me who you are!" Rose half yelled at the Doctor as she tried to get answers.

Lyla interjected into the conversation with a hard voice aimed at Rose, "That's enough." They both spun around to stare at her. She pointed at the Doctor as she continued, "That's the Doctor and that's all you need to know right now. Plus, now isn't the time. So, drop it."

Rose was the first to say something as the shock wore off and was replaced with righteous anger, "And who or what are you? Cause the way you react to all of this is not normal." _Well, that's because I know what to expect. I have a huge learning curve blondie._

"I'm just a human Rose. Just like you. Maybe a little more open-minded at the moment. But just a human," Lyla answered with a sigh. She pushed off the wall and walked toward the two.

"Did you know his machine is in our head?" Rose accused.

"No, but does it matter?" Lyla answered, taking a seat on the stairs in between the two.

"Yes! Cause it's in our head and he didn't even ask." Rose nearly came out of her seated position as she complained.

"Rose, it's probably something that he doesn't think about or it's something that he can't fully control. But that's no reason for you to jump his case so rudely." Lyla admonished the blonde.

The computer came back on over the P.A. system, "Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes."

"Rose, I think you should apologize. We are here, 5 billion years in the future, because of him and his awesome ship. Apologize so you don't upset the easily cranky alien who is the driver." Lyla finished with a smile and an amused look at said alien.

Chastised, Rose looked everywhere but at the other two occupants of the room. "All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver." She took out her phone, "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit." _Well, that's not exactly an apology but I guess that's the British way. Or maybe a Tyler way._

The Doctor gave a small smile at Lyla as he addressed Rose, "Tell you what." He reached across Lyla and snagged the phone from Rose's hand, "With a little bit of jiggery pokery." Lyla blinked rapidly as she got an up close and person experience with the Doctors chest and smell. _It should be illegal to smell that good. Like do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars, straight to jail._

Rose gave a smile as she leaned closer to the two as he fiddled with the back and pulled the battery out. "Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" _Focus Lyla! It's your favorite part._

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"No, I failed hullabaloo." Rose ended with a tongue and teeth grin. Lyla let out a laugh as she watched them pick fun at each other.

"Oh. There you go." The Doctor handed her phone back to Rose.

Rose took the phone and immediately moved away from the two seated occupants as she called her mother.

"Thank you." The Doctor nudged Lyla's shoulder with his own.

She shrugged and gave him a smile. She held out a pack of gum to him as a silent peace offering. He laughed and took a piece but just fiddled with the wrapping as he looked down at his hands, "It's not that big of a deal, Doctor." She said reassuringly.

He gave her a wide goofy grin and changed the subject, "How was your talk with the Face of Boe."

"Oh, it was good. He's ancient and wise so it went about as well as talking to Yoda. It's all in riddles. But over all pretty cool." Lyla said back with a bittersweet smile escaping her as she played back the conversation in her head.

Confused at her flippant attitude over meeting her first alien, he asked, "I heard he was a little off putting with the whole talking in your mind ordeal."

"I think it's more off putting to see a disembodied head floating in a large glass jar like a science experiment gone wrong." She saw his look of disbelief and quickly continued, "Don't get me wrong the whole telepathy thing is slightly weird but overall the disembodied head was even more so."

"You are a confusing human being Lyla." He seemed to remember something, "What's your full name?"

Lyla laughed loudly, "Lyla Nox Aylin."

"Your parents had a thing for the night." He said with a large grin.

She gave him a lazy smile and asked him a question that she already knew the answer too, "Now, why would you say that?"

"Well," he stepped into lecturing mode, "The origin of Lyla is Arabic meaning night. Nox is the Roman Goddess of Night and Aylin is Turkish for moon halo or belonging to the moon." He finished with a smile and saw her trying to hold in the obvious laughter and frowned, "But you already knew that."

"I did," she giggled and tried to choke the noise down when she saw his put-out face. "I wasn't making fun Doctor. I was just curious if your name origin and meanings would have been human to begin with." She could no longer suppress her laughter at the situation. Once under control she saw the Doctor looking at her with a soft smile and shining eyes. "I guess that kinda explains the obsession with all thinks space and stars. When you asked us to travel with you," she paused and looked him in the eye with a broad grin as she continued, "You had me at universe." She looked over at the alien with a small almost shy smile, her laughter from earlier only shining in her eyes now.

Just then Rose walked back over with a shell-shocked appearance. The Doctor looked over and at her with a grin as he said, "Think that's amazing, you'll want to see the bill."

"That was five billion years ago. So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead." Rose said shocked and trying to wrap her mind around the whole situation.

"Bundle of laughs, you are." As the Doctor finished talking, the whole observation deck shook. "That's not supposed to happen."

The three walked back into the main viewing room. The Doctor started to explain to his two new companions as he fiddled with the sonic and the control panel by the door, "That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." Jabe made her way over to the three interlopers, "What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what."

"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." Jabe answered his question with a shrug.

He gave a sarcastic smile having thought of something. _Some thought that would have made Sherlock proud. Probably about the intelligence of lesser beings that he was surrounded by._ It vanished as he asked her, "Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wives." Jabe answered with false wide earnest eyes.

"They're not my wives." He said with a faint smile. _Oh, fuck no. I will not be talked down to or called offensive names. No exceptions. Bitch needs to learn manners._

Knowing the rudeness that was about to happen, Lyla stepped in quickly. Her Texas accent got thicker as she reprimanded the offensive being in front of her, "If the next words out of your mouth are partner, concubine, or prostitute you better swallow them. And quickly. We are his associates, friends, companions, buddies, pals, hell you could've even used the word amigas. We are not his bitches." She finished with a sneer and a cold look. "Now while you go and get some manners, I'm gonna go mingle with the other guests." She looked to the Doctor as she turned her back to the tree, "Find the trouble and see you later." _That tree! Ugh. Don't make me regret saving your life._ She thought in turmoil after being called something so vile. _Maybe it's an American thing but being called a prostitute is asking to be punched._

Rose quickly caught up to Lyla, "That was amazing. And I think I've only see you get that offended a handful of times."

"It doesn't happen often but when it does…" She paused as she tried to find the right words, "I go off like a shot. Then everyone sees that I'm the bigger bitch."

"It was hilarious. You should've seen the Doctors face when you really laid into the tree."

"Why? Did I offend his delicateness with my language and tone?" Lyla said sardonically.

"No. I think you impressed him to tell you the truth. I was even a little impressed even after I know how you can get." She paused, "And I think that was the least number of curses that I've heard you utter when you bitch someone out." She laughed and gave Lyla a nudge. "So anyway, I'm going to talk to Michael Jackson over there. Wanna join?"

"Naw, I have no desire to entertain that piece of skin, but don't get in a fight." Lyla shoved her gently in the skins direction.

As she turned a circle the computer came over the intercom again, "Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes." Lyla ignored the computer and decided to look at the artifacts finally.

As Lyla looked around and got absorbed in the ancient artifacts that have stood the test of time and found themselves watching the earths last moments like her, she remembered what happened to Rose after she talked to the skin. _Aw shit. How could I have forgotten._ She turned looking for the other blonde and came up blank. She booked it to the hallway and quickly found the sound of Rose banging on the door.

"Rose!"

"Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed. "Let me out!"

"Oh, I don't know," Lyla rolled her eyes, "I think that I may just leave you in a locked room with the sun filter descending. What do you think I'm trying to do?" Just as Lyla finished her sarcastic retort the Doctor came around the corner.

He saw Lyla and quickly asked "Anyone in there?" He turned on the sonic and started working on the control panel.

Before Lyla could answer, Rose was banging on the door again, "LET ME OUT."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, well, it would be you."

"Open the door." Rose demanded.

"What do you think he's trying to do?! Open a bed and breakfast?" Lyla answered her back as the Doctor continued working on the control panel.

"OI! I don't need the bitchiness Lyla!"

"Sorry, I'm sarcastic under pressure."

They finally heard the computer say that the sun filter was rising. The Doctor let out a breath but Lyla tensed up more and hit the Doctor, "Open the door, numskull, before something else happens."

Before he could retort, the sun filter started descending again. Rose, panicking now, yelled through the door, "Stop mucking about!"

He ripped open the control panel and was messing around with the wires, "I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back."

"Open the door!"

"He knows Rose! Just run down the steps. Lowest part of the room. Rose, Do it!" Lyla yelled back.

"The lock's melted!"

At this the Doctor shoved his sonic into the mess of wires. With some crackling pops, they heard the computer state that the sun filter was rising again. Lyla gave a giant sigh of relief.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move." The Doctor yelled at Rose as he grabbed Lyla's hand and made his way down the hallway.

Before they got far, Rose replied to the Doctors last comment, "Where are am I going to go, Ipswich?"

As they ran through the hallway, the computer comes over the P.A system again, "Earth Death in five minutes."

They walked into the viewing room and heard Cassandra talking, "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me."

The Moxx of Balhoon demanded, "Summon the Steward."

Jabe answered as the Doctor walked up and took the spider device from her, "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."

Everyone gasped but the Moxx of Balhoon was the one to ask, "Who killed him?"

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." The Face of Boe shook his head and gave a groan. _Really Jack that was pathetic,_ Lyla thought as she tried to suppress a laugh. _For God sakes Lyla, get your shit together. The steward died. No time for giggles._

The Doctor held up the spider for everyone to see as he talked, "Easy way of finding out. Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master." He activated the spider and set it down on the ground. The device scuttled over to Cassandra and scanned her but moved on to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Cassandra was quick to accuse.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it." He walked over to the Adherents. The front droid raised a hand to smite the Doctor, _good luck with that dear sir. Better men have tried. And I think the right is reserved for Jackie Tyler. At least in this regeneration._ But the leader got caught by said alien as he proceeded to pull the arm off. _What's with him and pulling arms off._

"A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea." The Doctor pulled a wire in the arm and all the droids fell to the floor. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home." He nudged the spider with his foot and it scurried off to stand in front of Cassandra again.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" The boys on either side of her held up the spray canisters.

"What are you going to do, moisturize me?" The Doctor said with his hands going up to his chest in a frightened manner.

Lyla grabbed the back of his jacket as she pulled slightly and whispered where only the Doctor can here, "And here I thought I was sassy. That was top notch. Give the alien an A for that comeback." She just couldn't help herself with commenting on the line that always made her laugh.

The Doctor quietly shushed her and focused back on the evil mastermind wanna-be.

As Lyla was whispering, Cassandra carried on talking, "With acid. Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face."

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" The Doctor commented the obvious.

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous," Cassandra said.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money," The Doctor observed with a mild tone of disgust.

"It's always money," Lyla quietly commented still holding the leather jacket.

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not those freaky little kids of yours," said Cassandra.

Lyla was glad she had situated herself behind the Doctor as she was shaking with the suppressed need to hit something. Preferably a skin flap named Cassandra.

"Arrest her, the infidel." The Moxx of Balhoon cried to the room.

"Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option." Cassandra said.

"Earth Death in three minutes." The Computer spoke over the intercom again to remind everyone of the impending danger.

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."

Jabe, stepping into the conversation, said, "Then you'll burn with us."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate." Explosions can be heard throughout the space station. "Forcefields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me." Cassandra laughed but continued, "Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings." Her voice fading as she teleported out of the room.

"Safety systems failing," said the Computer. "Heat levels rising."

"Reset the computer." The Moxx of Balhoon shouted, now panicking.

"Only the Steward would know how." said Jabe.

"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe and Lyla, come on. You lot, just chill." The Doctor interjected and grabbed ahold of Lyla's hand and rushed out the door with Jabe hot on their tales.

As they made their way down the maintenance tunnel the Computer keeps talking over their heads, "Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes. Heat levels critical. Heat levels Critical."

They entered the engine room and the Doctor made a noise in the back of his throat, "Oh. And guess where the switch is." He nodded to the other side of the three large circulating fans. He looked around and spotted a control lever for the fan speed and pushed it down. The fans slowed, he released the lever and started walking toward the fans. The lever bounced back to its original position before Lyla quickly took up the mantle of lever holder. The fans slowed once again. The Doctor turned around and gave a sad look back at the tiny human girl but she was staring at Jabe and didn't notice.

"Get out Jabe. The heat will kill you," said Lyla with a grunt. "Get everyone away from the windows."

She nodded and spoke to the Doctor, "Don't waste time, Timelord." She took off back down the maintenance duct.

He turned to Lyla with pleading eyes, but she was already set and a glare aimed his way, "You heard her. Stop wasting time."

The heat rose sharply in the room and the metal bar beneath her hands started to heat up to uncomfortable levels. _Thank the lord for Texas summers and hot seatbelts._ She didn't see the Doctor go past the first fan, to preoccupied with the sweat dripping down her face and slicking her palms.

She did look up a couple seconds later to see how his progress was moving. She watched as he looked back before facing the second fan. In record time, sweat drenched her shirt but her body had stopped producing the fluid already being close to heat stroke from just the little amount of time that she spent in here. Her hands cramped as her body told her to release the object causing so much pain. She started to smell burning flesh as her hands started to slip and slide on the bar.

Not able to handle the heat and pain any longer she gave a scream and sagged against the bar. Lyla shouted, over the computers insistent warnings, "Get the lead out of your ass Timelord." He stepped through the second fan, but she released the lever with a pained cry and dropped to her knees cradling her hands.

The metal bar had heated to such a degree that the skin had started to turn black in places and was oozing blood and clear liquid. She had flayed skin separating from the rest of her hands. _Holy crow. That hurts so fucking bad._ She didn't realize that she was whimpering, "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That hurts," repeatedly until the Doctor crouched down and drew her hands toward him.

"Let me see." He softly said and examined her hands. "I'll fix you up in the Tardis. They will be good as new." He helped her stand and whipped the tears from her checks. He made his way behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders to guide her through the tight maintenance duct. They slowly made their way back toward the Manchester Suite. They had a flap of skin to bake.

She commented to lighten the mood and take her mind off her destroyed hands, "I feel like I was just baked in an oven." She gave a humorless laugh and didn't say another word for the rest of the trip.

When they enter the room, Lyla looked around at the casualties and noticed that there weren't many and the Moxx of Balhoon was still sitting in his chair, Jabe was with her two men over in the corner and Boe was still getting his tank back to a comfortable temperature with the help of the small blue workers. She saw Rose and lead the Doctor to her.

"You two alright?" she asked looking upon the two and seeing Lyla's hands made a beeline to her. Lyla shook her head at her friend and nodded toward the Doctor behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." He walked over to the ostrich egg and slammed it against the pedestal. A metal device fell out, "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twisted a noob on the device and Cassandra was teleported back. "The last human."

"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club," she said, fishing for excuses.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them," the Doctor said with a hard cold look.

"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter."

"And creak?" The Doctor asked.

"And what?"

"And creak. You're creaking." Lyla said while she took a step toward the Doctors side and Rose stepped up on his other. "Wanna know what happens to skin when you turn up the heat?" Lyla showed her hands to Cassandra. She heard several gasps throughout the room. _Oh come on, I know they look bad but not that bad._

"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She screamed.

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor said back with no emotion.

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything," Cassandra begged.

"Help her," Lyla heard Rose whisper to the Doctor.

The Doctor looked down at Rose and then over at Lyla and watched her as she held her hands in pain, his face hardened further. "Everything has its time and everything dies," he said back to Rose and placed a hand on Lyla's shoulder.

"I'm too young," Cassandra gave a splat as her skin shrunk and came undone from the clamps. Pieces flew in every direction and it was a miracle that the three stayed so clean through it all.

After the downfall of the bad guy, the Doctor pulled Lyla away from the Manchester Suite and made his way toward the med bay on the Tardis.

Lyla looked around at the med bay. She saw a very white and organized room that would make any OCD person swoon at. Several pieces of machinery hung from the ceiling or was pushed into corners, ready to use at any moment. The Doctor steered her by the shoulders to a normal looking emergency room bed.

The Doctor helped her up and started prepping her arm for an IV. Once the IV was in and a fluid bag placed on the rack above her head she finally spoke up, "You know this could've waited until we were completely done with the space station." A small shrug accompanied the statement. She watched him riffle through cabinets until he found the item he was looking for.

He walked back over to her with a funny look on his face that Lyla couldn't place, "Why would I let you suffer in pain when I could easy fix it."

She gave him a weary smile, "I have a high pain tolerance. It's really not that bad anymore."

He looked at her in disbelief, "I've seen a lot of burn wounds and this is probably one of the worst. If you were anywhere else, they would've had to do a skin graft. And you say it's not that bad. You should be crying or groaning in pain at least. But no, you say you could've have waited." He said mockingly. "You are something special." He trailed off and finally uncapped the tube of ointment. He squeezed half the tube onto each hand before grabbing a tongue depressor to smear the goop. She watched as it turned a sickish green color.

Lyla felt the immediate effects and sighed in relief as the cool substance soaked into her hands. "Ok now what." She asked.

"Now you wait 30 minutes for the burn relief ointment to do its job. No touching anything," he commanded. He looked up at the IV bag and noticed that it was almost drained, he took out the IV and placed a band-aid over the small puncture wound.

Lyla, super curious about what was in the IV, voiced her question, "What did you just pump into my system and how did it happen so fast."

"It's a cocktail of different substances for dehydration." He answered as he helped her down from the bed with an arm under her legs and the other behind her back in a traditional bridal hold.

Once off the bed, he sat her feet down on the floor and took up position at her back again, steering her out of the med bay and back to the observation deck to their third companion.

Lyla stopped short just inside the entrance of the Manchester Suite when they found the wayward blonde, she nudged the Doctor closer toward Rose. He gave her a look and she was quick to promise not to touch anything as she waited for the two.

The Doctor walked up behind Rose and a couple seconds went by before the Doctor offered her his hand as he pulled her toward Lyla.

When Rose saw Lyla, she asked quickly, "How's the hands and how did they get like that to begin with?"

Lyla began walking back toward the Tardis as she told a shorten version of events, "Well holding a metal bar when the temperature gets up into cake baking range is not a wise move but so was, you know, dying… lesser of two evils I guess." Lyla lifted her hands and showed them to Rose. The greenish ointment was slowly turning into a sickly yellow. "Well, I saw my Doctor and he smear this stuff on them and pumped me full of some special concoction, then told me that I was not to touch anything. He was quite demanding." Lyla said with a smile toward the Doctor who was fighting a grin.

"I see what I get for Doctoring you up."

"Oh, sweetheart you can Doctor me up anytime." Lyla threw a wink his way and giggled when she saw slight redness come over his cheeks and tops of his ears.

"Oi. You two. Stop flirting and show me what you were going to show me Doctor."

They reached the Tardis and was quick to leave Platform One. When they landed again, the Doctor ushered them out into modern day London.

"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before its time." The Doctor said sadly as he looked off into the distance.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"There was a war and we lost." The Doctor turned slowly toward them and regarded the two women.

"A war with who," When she realized that he wasn't going to answer, Rose cleared her throat roughly before she asked another question, "What about your people?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else."

Lyla wrapped her arm through the Doctors, careful to not touch him directly with her hands, "There's us." She said just loud enough to be heard over the chaos of people and sounds.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" The Doctor asked the two, studying them closely for any hesitation.

"Hell no," Lyla was quick to answer. Her eyes never leaving the Doctors when she declared her answer.

"I don't know. I want. Oh, can you smell chips?" Rose easily distracted. The other two shared a smile and sniffed the air around them.

"You know, I don't understand why y'all call them chips?" Lyla asked as they investigated the smell.

"Well-." The Doctor was quickly cut off by Rose as she demanded chips.

"You can explain over chips and you can pay." Rose said.

"No money," he replied with a closed lipped grin.

"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on Lyla and me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close," Rose said with a tongue in teeth smile.

"Ha! Guess what, you guys," Lyla exclaimed a couple seconds later as they investigated the smell of fried goodness.

They looked over at her in a questioning manner. Lyla looked at the Doctor barely containing her mirth at the situation and raised her hands for him to see, "You get to feed me fries." She lost the battle of holding in her laughter and barely got out, "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"

The other two companions joined in with the other girls laughter.


	4. Unquiet Dead

**Chapter 3**

The Tardis bounced around as the girls' fumble with the controls and did what the Doctor shouted over the racket. Rose was holding down one set of buttons when he cried out over the rumbling of the Tardis, "Hold that one down!"

"I'm holding this one down," Rose yelled back.

"Well hold them both down!" was his answering reply.

Rose looked around helplessly when suddenly Lyla's foot dropped down on the button. "Your welcome," the stretched-out girl said.

Rose looked back toward the Doctor and commented teasingly, "It's not gonna work."

"Oi! I promised you two a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" He asked the two. _Sounds like you get it wrong._

They looked back at him as Rose said, "What happened in 1860?"

"I don't know, let's find out," he pulled a lever, "Hold on, here we go."

Both girls held on tightly to whatever they could get their hands on as the Tardis whirled through the time vortex. With a final wheeze and shudder sending all the occupants to the ground, the Tardis landed. _Talk about rough landing. This ship needs seatbelts!_

"Blimey," Rose commented amidst all the laughter.

"Fucking hell that was rough," Lyla said between bouts of laughter. She picked herself up and brushed off her sore, most likely bruised ass. She reached down to offer a hand to Rose, who was still laying on the grates looking dazed.

"You're telling me. Are you two alright?" The Doctor asked as the they picked themselves up.

"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken," Rose said as she walked over to where he was looking at a monitor of some sort. "Did we make it? Where are we?"

"When are we?" Lyla asks curiously as she leaned against the railing watching the two.

"I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860," he proclaimed with joy as he turned to look at the other two. _Ha maybe a metal of participation._

"It's Christma," Lyla commented as she finally walked over. _I love Christmas!_

"Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you," Rose looked over at the Doctor with a look of amazement and envy written on her face. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago," she chuckled in wonder, "No wonder you never stay still."

"What a life," Lyla said with admiration and a smile. _Man after my own heart!_

"Better with three though," Rose tacked on to the end of Lyla's comment.

Rose started making her way to the door when the Doctor stopped her, "Hey, where do you think you're going."

She turned and looked back at the two still standing by the console, "1860," she said with a large jubilant smile.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella," he pointed off down the hallway, "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" _Like I'm ever gonna remember that._

Rose rushed back to Lyla and grabed her hand, "Did you pay attention to the directions?" She whispered to Lyla.

"Of course not," Lyla said with a laugh and shoulder bumped the younger girl. "I'm just gonna wing it and hope the Tardis likes us enough to show us the way."

The girls finally found the wardrobe room and stood stunned for a few minutes with appreciation. _Oh, this is every girl's dream. And maybe some boys too._ They split up to find dresses for this day and age. Rose found a black corset top with a deep red skirt. She paired that with a black shawl, period appropriate heels and some red flowers for the up-do twist that the Tardis did her hair in.

Lyla picked a royal blue dress that had long sleeves and a high neck line on the sides but opens in the front and dips to show a tasteful amount of cleavage and had the right number of ruffles to be fashionable for this time, but not gaudy. She laced up her black low top converses with it because she knew that there would be running and snow. She grabbed a black shawl like Rose's before she skipped over to the hair machine that first intimidated her, but after seeing the beauty that was Rose's hair, she decided to trust the Tardis with her locks.

Her hair is pulled into a half up/ half down style. Perfect deep purple ringlets flowed over her shoulders and reach below her bodice. The top was twisted into a blonde braid that flowed down the center in, what looked like to her, a very modern chic braided-mohawk. The braid ended at the nape of her neck and flowed down into the purple ringlets. She had no idea how the whole thing was staying but she gave some harsh head turns and bounced on her toes to make sure everything stayed in place. _I need this in my everyday life!_

Lyla turned to Rose with a smile, "You look beautiful Rose!"

"You too! That hair style is amazing!" Rose gushed as she came up to finger a purple curl.

"Right!" Lyla squealed and turned back to the mirror, "We just might start that riot after all. We look sexy."

Rose nodded and linked arms with Lyla as they made their way back towards the Doctor.

The girls walked in laughing to see the Doctor shoulder deep within the metal grates messing with some wires. _Hope he's not breaking it._ They heard popping noises and the sound of the sonic as they walked toward the railing. When he finally realizes that they were back, he looked up and did a double take. His eyes lingered on Lyla as he breathed out in astonishment, "Blimey." _Well that's interesting and good to know._

Rose gave a nervous giggle and looked down to smooth her skirt out, "Don't laugh."

"You two look beautiful, considering."

"Considering what?" Rose asked with trepidation.

"That you're human." He said while looking back down at the pervious wires he was handling.

"Why! Thank you, kind sir." Lyla said in her best southern belle voice with a small curtsy attached. She saw a faint blush come over the Doctor at her words. _Did he… Was he just… Really. He liked that thick southern twang? Gonna have to remember that._

Rose laughed and looked between the two before asking with a raised eyebrow, "Aren't you gonna change?"

He pulled his sweater out away from himself and released it again as he said, "I've changed my jumper." He hopped out of the grate and gestured toward the door, "Come on."

Rose was quick in grabbing Lyla's hand and pulling her toward the door with a finger pointed at the Doctor, "You stay there. You've done this before. This is ours."

They reached the doors and Rose stepped out slowly listening to the crackle and crunch of snow under her shoe. As she looked up her face was bathed in wonder and excitement. Lyla was right behind her and made a mad dash out the door. She started to twirl and dance in the snow with laughter. She heard the Doctor ask Rose if she was ready to see history before they walked fully away from the entrance of the Tardis and closer to their laughing and overly happy companion. The Doctor laughed and had a soft look on his face as he watched her twirl in the snow. _I'm in the PAST! This is amazing. Words can't describe how surreal this is,_ her thoughts bouncing off each other as she took in her surroundings at each turn.

Lyla stopped and faced them, out of breath she said to Rose, "I hate the cold but love the snow." She looked over at the Doctor with a wicked mischievous eye, "Come play with me Doctor." She grabbed his hand quickly before he registered what she had said and pulled him into an impromptu two-step. Her laughter grew when she looked up into his face to see an aspirated look but he continued to dance with her anyway. She spun, twirled, and laughed cheerfully around him as he watched with soft eyes. _I got the Doctor to dance!_

"Alright, Alright. That's enough of that, let's go explore," he said as he pulled her to a stop and grasped her hand firmly, interlacing their fingers and held out his arm for Rose to link hers to his.

They walked down the street toward the hustle and bustle of 1869. The trio heard Christmas Carols being sung by a festively dressed choir. They dodged horse drawn carriages and watched the people mill about on Christmas Eve. The Doctor pulled the two toward a man selling papers on the street. He released them as he went and over and bought one. Lyla leaned over and whispered to Rose, "I can't believe we are seeing 1860!"

Rose gave a small squeal and bounced on her toes as she replied, "I know. This is amazing." Her eyes eagerly sought out the area and time.

The Doctor turned back to the two girls, "I got the flight a bit wrong."

Rose linked their arms again and smiled as she said back, "I don't care."

Lyla walked beside the Doctor and snagged the paper before he could fold it. She read the date with a grin before stating, "What kind of driver are you to be 9 years off?"

He looked shamefaced as he said, "It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care." Rose said again with a smile.

Lyla still reading the paper in her hands she laughed louder, tears almost streaming out of her eyes as she commented between breaths, "You even got the location wrong!"

He tugged the paper out of Lyla's hands with a scowl as she laughed at him. "And it's not Naples," he said to Rose.

"I don't care." This time she said it with a shake of her head.

"It's Cardiff." That stopped Rose in her tracks.

Lyla wiped her checks of tears as she calmed down but snorted again when she thought about how awful his driving really was. She calmed again and was finally able to comfort Rose and the Doctor, "But it's 1869. On Christmas." She paused and gave them both large smiles as she went on, "So, in exchange of Rose repeating herself a fourth time, we don't care." She gave another twirl in front of the two as she sang to an imaginary beat her voice lifting and echoing around the road, "It's the past and on Christmas! Cheer up Humbug!"

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other with identical smiles and locked arms again as they followed their dancing and singing companion. The other two by Lyla's side stopped as they heard screams come from down the road and in the theater. The Doctor grabbed the girl's hands and looked at them with an overly-happy grin, "That's more like it." They were off at a run toward the ruckus. _And the running begins!_

They made their way into the theater just in time to see the blue ghost figure zooming around the ceiling with an ethereal scream being heard. The Doctor smiled completely happy at the turn of events, "Fantastic."

"Only in this Universe would that be fantastic." Lyla said so quietly that no one heard her. She watched the Doctor run up to stage and start questioning Charles Dickens about the figure. _Fun time over. The real work begins._

They all watched as the corpse dropped to the ground. Lyla and Rose were swept up in the departing mob but could see that Sneed and Gwyneth had grabbed the old women.

"Oi! Leave her alone," Rose shouted at the two body snatchers. She turned her head to shout at the man in leather, "Doctor! I'll get them."

"Be careful." He said not realizing how desperate the mortician was.

Lyla looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide on who to go with. _To stay or not to stay. Charles Dickens or a chloroform rag. Rose or the Doctor. Minnie Miney Mo._ Her feet made the decision for her as she ran after Rose. She was just in time to see Sneed place the cloth over Rose's mouth. "Hey! Stop that!" She yelled as she barreled right into him but Rose was already knock out. Before she could take steps away from the desperate man, he had a firm hold of the cloth around her nose and mouth. Lyla jerked around and tried to fight the instinct to breath, but it was to no avail as she gasped for breath and promptly started to lose consciousness. Her last thought being a lame joke, _Hey does this smell like chloroform?_

eHe Lyla woke up to see that Rose was still out and they were placed in the viewing room of the funeral home. _The answer was, yes. It did smell like chloroform._ She looked around at the coffins with a shiver running down her spine. She turned to Rose and started slapping her face lightly to wake her up, "Wakey wakey. Eggs and bacy." When she still didn't stir, "Oh come one Rose. Don't make me slap you harder." Lyla reared back and slapped her forcefully across the face. Rose sat up. Her hand flying to her check, where a red handprint was starting to form. Lyla let out a breath of air with a whisper of, "Oh, Thank the gods."

"Did you slap me?" Rose rubbed her check as she finally saw what room they were in, "You could give my mother a run for her money." She said absent mindedly.

Lyla heard the gas hissing noise that signaled the presence of the ghost like creatures. She looked around to see where it could be coming from, her thoughts running through this episode trying to figure out timelines. _OK right now, the Doctor is on his way with Charles or they are already at the door talking to Gwyneth. We shouldn't be in here that long. The Doctor came to save Rose. Kicked in the door, so make sure Rose is away from door but not in danger of the Gelth. Right! Game plan is a go._

Lyla was pulled from her thoughts as both girls turned quickly and with twin jumps of fright. They heard the god-awful moaning and groaning that happened behind them.

"Are you all right?" Rose said as the zombie started to move out of its coffin. "You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" The zombie finally stumbled its way out of the coffin and made a lumbering walk toward the two girls.

"Fucking great." Lyla said sarcastically as she pulled Rose off the table and backed up toward the door.

Rose turned and started banging on the door, "Let us out!"

"Doctor!" Lyla screamed as she watched the old lady reanimate. _This shit is scarier when you are here to witness it firsthand._

"Open the door!" Rose yelled as she twisted the door handle fruitlessly.

"Oh God, please Doctor. Open the fucking door." Lyla yelled as she kicked the door getting the same results as Rose and a bruised heel. _I really hate zombies! Top three evil things! Spiders, Zombies, and bathrooms with no toilet paper._

The zombies had now reached the two and Lyla pushed herself in front of Rose but closer to the out reaching hands of the zombies.

"Let me out! Somebody open the door! Open the door!" Rose kicked with her heel at the door as she tried to tug Lyla out of the zombie's grasp.

Lyla gave a scream as the man finally pulled her away from Rose and quickly placed his hand around her throat to quiet the screams.

Just as Rose rushed forward, to get a grasp of Lyla again, the door comes flying in. Rose was pulled back by a hand and quickly deposited behind the Doctor.

"I think this is my dance." The Doctors said while grabbing Lyla and tugging her free from the strangling hold. His arm stayed around her waist, fingers digging in just below her ribcage. She clung to his arm and rubbed her throat in a soothing manner. There was a flash of satisfaction that no one caught in her face as she faced the zombies. _Part one done. Everything still on tract. Don't think about the end just what comes next._ She schooled her features again into a fearful and pained look before anyone noticed.

"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Mr. Dickens said while staring in disbelief at the creatures.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking." He said aiming the reply toward Dickens but looked back at Rose then Lyla, "Hi you two."

"Hi." Rose said faintly.

"Who's he?" Lyla asked in a strained whisper. _Well that's new and painful. First the burnt hands on Platform One now bruised vocal cords in Cardiff._

The Doctor looked down at her in concern after hearing her voice, "Charles Dickens."

Lyla nodded while Rose answered for the both of them, "Okay."

They all face the zombie creatures when the Doctor finally addressed them, "My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?"

The ghostly voices echo throughout the room, "Failing. Open the rift. We're dying." The voices faded out then much quieter they continued, "Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us." They gave a scream when they exited the dead bodies and flooded back into the gas.

Lyla watched as Gwyneth poured tea for the room, only keeping half an ear on what Rose was berating the undertaker for and running through the next part of the show in her head. _Gwyneth in the kitchen with Rose while the Doctor and Charles talk in the viewing rom over the dead._ Her thoughts cut off as her vision fills with a concerned Doctor. He knelt in front of her and elevated her chin with two fingers to see her throat and the damage that the gas creatures caused. He ran the pads of his fingers against some of the forming bruises, causing Lyla's skin to pebble up with goose bumps and her to swallow harshly. He then moved the neck portion of her dress to the side to see further along Lyla's neck. Lyla not being a shy person, blushed when she watched his eyes flit from worry to want as his eyes wandered further down then the neck area. She cleared her throat and gave him a huge smile and a wink when he finally met her eyes. With ears turning a faint pink, he said roughly, "It's not bad. I'll fix the bruises back at the Tardis but tea will help soothe the throat and help with talking."

She gave him a put-out expression and with a roll of the eyes she acknowledged the order that he gave and accepted the tea Gwyneth handed her with a helpless and thankful smile aimed the servant's way. She gave the Doctor a pointed look as she took a deliberate drink. He threw a cherry expression her way and ran his hand down her neck again. He slipped his fingers into her curls and gave them a playful tug before walking across the room to lean against the mantle.

Lyla sat her tea on a low table beside the couch that she was sitting on. She crossed her ankles and placed her head in her hands massaging her temples to help alleviate the migraine that was forming. She ignored the conversations that flowed about the room. _Ok news flash! Funs over. For real this time, Sunshine. What am I going to do! I can't save Gwyneth. Or can I? UGH! I don't know! FUCK! Is her death fixed? Fuckity fuck town!_ She groaned quietly to herself as her fingers pressed harder into her skull. _My head hurts. And my wrist is hot. Wait… what?_ She brought her hands down in front of her. She slowly fingered the delicate piece of jewelry to feel that it was hot to the touch. Almost too hot. But once her fingers brushed over the metal it instantly began to cool. _UGH. Tardis! She needs to explain!_ Lyla looked up at the room to caught Dickens leaving and she heard Sneed talking about how he got the house so cheap. She ignored this and continued to look off into space as she played with the bracelet, that was now almost ice cold, its normal temperature. She took notice that the Doctor left the room with Gwyneth following soon after. Lyla stood and took Rose by the hand as she spoke, "Lets help Gwyneth clean up."

They arrived just in time to see Gwyneth light the gas lamp on the wall. Rose made her way to the sink as she prepared to help with the dishes. Lyla hung back by some of the shelves and watched Gwyneth.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right." Gwyneth protested.

Rose turned back toward the sink and picked up a towel before she said, "Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death." Gwyneth took the towel from Rose's hands with a faint nod. "How much do you get paid?" Rose curiously asked.

"Eight pound a year, miss." Gwyneth proudly boasted with a cocked head.

"How much?" Rose said shocked.

"I know. I would've been happy with six," Gwyneth confided as she gave a faint shrug of the shoulders. She turned back to the sink to start the washing again.

Rose continued to question the young maid, "So, did you go to school or what?"

Gwyneth turned back toward Rose, "Of course, I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper."

"What, once a week?" Rose said in disbelief.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second." Gwyneth whispered conspiracyly to the other two.

Lyla just let the girls have their conversation. She looked around the kitchen as they rambled on about boys, Rose giving dating advice, and ended up at Rose's Dad. She tooned back in when she heard Gwyneth bring up servants. _Rose really shouldn't give dating advice seeing as she ran away from her boyfriend and dropped out of school for the other._

"No, no servants where we're from." Rose told the young maid.

"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth intoned as she advanced on Rose slightly.

"What makes you think so?" Rose had a slight tremor in her voice when she replied.

Gwyneth's voice got low and she stared Rose in the eyes when she spoke, "You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame." She gave a slight disturbed look but continued on, "And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying," she grimaced. "And you, you've flown so far." She stopped and pierced Lyla with her stare now. "But you've come the farthest. You've seen things that should never be uttered. The cracks, the creatures without a face, the crying angles, Yana, but you shine so bright. But a name follows you. The big Bad Wolf." She backed away quickly from the blonde and purple haired girl. With wide and fearful eyes, she started stuttering out apologies, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Miss."

Lyla stared in shock at the maid, _what the fuck was that! I knew about bad wolf. That's the whole reason why I'm here but Yana and the silence. Does that mean I have to deal with River? Does that mean that I can't go home?_ Her thoughts tumbled around in her head as a single tear fell from her eye. She was panting trying to get air into her closing lungs due to panic.

Rose looked back and forth between the women, seeing the scared looks on both of their faces she decided to answer for Lyla, "It's all right."

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it." She said almost crying as she tried to explain.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" The younger women jumped and turned to look at the speaker that just made his presence known. Lyla, still in the grips of a panic attack, didn't even notice his entrance. She took several deep breathes and started counting random numbers, _2, 8, 19, 27, 43, 1, 5, 11._ As she finished, her breathing had slowed and her mind cleared of the impending black out of lack of oxygen. She wiped her eyes of fallen tears.

"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head." Gwyneth answered looking down with a slight pained look about her.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." The Doctor explained.

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do." He approved. Rose was following the conversation like a tennis match. Lyla still had her back to the Doctor as she kept her eyes on Gwyneth trying to convey a silent message through whatever power that she possessed. _Come on Gwyneth look at me!_

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth questioned.

"We're going to have a séance," The Doctor concluded as he smiled faintly at the prospect of finding out about the creatures.

Lyla gave up trying to catch the young girls eye and turned toward the Doctor and her fear had turned to angry like a flipped switch. Her eyes found his on instinct and she almost blew a gasket but she kept it together as she walked out of the pantry and toward the living room again. She could hear the other two following behind them. The Doctor caught up to her and grabbed her hand to slow her fast-clipped walk that she was trying to use to escape from him. She yanked out of his grasp as the entered the living room and made her way to the couch where she sat in her earlier position, of fingers to temples, and ignoring the room as they got ready for the Séance.

He followed her and crouched down in front of her again lifting her head, with both hands on either side of her face, to stare into her eyes. She was still spitting mad but her mouth was firmly shut as she started back with levels of rage that the Doctor was uncomfortable in seeing. "What's wrong?" He said concerned.

She gave a hollow laugh, that was still rough from earlier, and pulled her face from his hands. "If you have to ask, you'll never know," She quoted and looked over his shoulder to see that they had the table set up. She stood and stepped around the Doctor and took her place between Rose and Charles. _What could I tell him. He's about to kill a young woman because his survivors guilt. Or that he will endanger everyone in this house. Or maybe that I kinda, sort of, probably shouldn't but do blame him for not being able to go home._

Once everyone was seated, Gwyneth explained with a smile, "This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in big town. Come, we must all join hands."

Charles rolled his eyes, "I can't take part in this."

"Humbug? Come on, open mind." The Doctor remarked.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séance? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing." Charles objected.

"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium." The Doctor joked.

Lyla rolled her eyes and Rose admitted, "I can't believe you just said that."

"I can." Lyla spoke loud enough that only Rose and Charles could hear her.

"Come on, we might need you." The Doctor supplied while Lyla opened her hand inviting him back to the table.

"I don't bite Mr. Dickens. Come have a seat and watch the magic happen." Lyla coaxed with a cheeky grin and a saucy wink thrown in for good measure. Charles sits back down with a faint brush and grabbed Gwyneth's and Lyla's hand.

The Doctor gave Lyla a confused hurt look but returned to the waiting Physic with a calm small smile, "Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out."

Gwyneth began, "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." She looked straight up at the ceiling suddenly and the whispering started to be heard around the room.

"Can you hear that." Rose gasped while looking around, trying to find the source.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly." Charles said with exasperation.

Lyla squeezed his hand and nodded to Gwyneth as she instructed the writer, "But look. Use your eyes and look at her."

"I see them. I feel them." Gwyneth sang in awe at whatever she was seeing. Blue tendrils start floating and swirling above their heads.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through." The Doctor quietly spoke to Gwyneth getting her a little closer to achieving their goal.

"I can't." She cried.

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link." He said in a placating voice.

"Yes." She cried. Her head jerked downwards and stared off into the distance as huge blue ghostly figures formed behind her. All participants of the séance looked at the figure in awe except Lyla, who kept her eyes alternating between the Doctor and Gwyneth. _Don't look at the creepy child looking aliens. Don't do it just stay focused and pay attention._

"Great God! Spirits from the other side." Sneed exclaimed.

"The other side of the universe." The Doctor corrected the old undertaker.

Childlike voices spoke over-lapping each other and Gwyneth's voice as they pleaded in unison, "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."

"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor asked the Gelth. Lyla growled under her breath, _Idiot. That's not what you ask first._

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge." The childlike voices sang out.

"What for?" he questioned.

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction," explained the Gelth

Concerned the Doctor asked, "Why, what happened?"

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?" Charles asked getting into the séance.

"The Time War." Rose and Lyla shared a look before Rose paid attention to the Gelth again and Lyla turned back toward the Doctor. Lyla's eyes found his and without looking away she stared back at him with a closed off expression. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state." _And that's where you should stay._

The Doctor looked away from Lyla's penetrating stare and made a simple observation, "So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us." The Gelth reasoned.

Rose, speaking up finally, protested, "But we can't."

"Why not?" questioned the Doctor.

She fumbled with her words as she tried to explain her reasoning, "It's not- I mean- it's not-."

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The Doctor interrupted.

"Enough." Lyla's voice rang out in the room as all eyes went to her. She kept her head lowered and her head tilted to the side like she was listening to something no one else could here but she was just waiting for the rest of the speech from the Gelth. _It's not over until the fat lady sings. Or in this case the creepy children voiced plea._

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." They faded out and Gwyneth slumped toward the table. Rose and Lyla were up in a flash to make sure the girl was alright.

The girls were around Gwyneth, who was laid up on a fainting couch, when she started to stir.

"It's all right. You just sleep." Rose cajoled while she patted her head down with a damp cloth.

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me." Gwyneth asked while she stranded to sit up.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival." The Doctor interjected as he leaned up against the door way.

Rose turned quickly and barked at the Doctor, "I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." She turned back and offered Gwyneth a cup, "Now drink this."

Lyla heard the Doctor sigh and thunked his head on the door frame. She ignored that and turned to Rose, "I've got her." She pointed over her shoulder at the Doctor, who started explaining things to the other men in the room, and went on, "Go participate in that discussion for us will you."

Rose nodded and wandered off toward the others. Lyla turned to Gwyneth and wrapped her in a huge hug and spoke quickly and softly in her hair, "I know you saw what happens to you. I can find a way to stop it. I just need you to tell me and I will fight tooth and nail for you. But I will not object if you want to continue with this path. I know you know the dangers and the outcome. It's your choice. Tell me if there is, any doubt, any hesitation, any at all and I will fight him for you." Lyla pulled away from her with tears streaming down her face.

Gwyneth reached up and wiped them away for her before speaking, "Your right, I do know. The Wolf and Time demands it of me. This is my duty and destiny. You have a big heart and a bigger soul. Let me do this for him and for you."

Lyla choked back tears as she slowly nodded her head, "OK, but that doesn't let him off the hook. I'm still going to fight just a smidge. I have to keep up appearances and he deserves it." She gave a watery laugh to the faintly smiling girl.

They tooned back into the conversation that was happening around them.

"Do you own a donor card?" The Doctor set in on Rose.

"That's different. That's-," Rose started.

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying." The Doctor was practically shouting in Rose's face by now.

Lyla stood up and gained the attention of the room. Her voice was low with barely contained angry, she raged, "And who, my dear old Doctor, made you God? Who gave you the right to lease out old and dead family members?" She paused and looked up into his eyes finally to see surprise and anger building. That just caused her to clip out, "Who? Cause the way I see it, is that you're the only alien in here and you can't and don't speak for humanity. That's not your right." She advanced on him slowly, taking measured steps in his direction his eyes now closed off but Lyla can easily read the anger had turned into rage and was building. She hissed quietly now in his face, "And don't think, I don't see what this is truly. Why you won't stop and use that brain that you so love to boast about." She sneered in his face, "Why is it that Humans, for a change, can see clearly but you can't?" She raised a finger and poked him in the chest with each word that she snarled next, "Guilt will be your death and everyone else's here." His eyes flashed with barely contained rage as he gripped her wrist with a bruising force, but she did not wince nor show her pain.

He was interrupted from saying anything and berating her by Gwyneth speaking up, "Don't I get a say miss."

Rose watched the two as if waiting for a bomb to exploded when she replied to Gwyneth, "Look, you don't understand what's going on."

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid," Gwyneth stated matter-of-factly.

"That's not fair," Rose deflected finally looking at Gwyneth.

The Doctor snarled in low tones that reached an octave lower than his regular voice, "We will speak later." He released Lyla's wrist and she took a step back.

With a roll of her eyes, a sneer that Loki would be proud of, and a defiant head tilt, she retorted, "Go fuck yourself." He gave a growl of anger but before he could reach out and grab her again, she was beside Gwyneth and holding her hand. _Oh. My. God. He's gonna kill me. Drop me off at home like Adam. Why can't I keep my fat mouth shut!_

The Doctor took a deep breath and looked at Gwyneth as he insisted, "You don't have to do anything." His voice still deep and gravelly from his anger at Lyla.

Lyla squeezed her hand and ducked her head. Her emotions on a roller coaster ride as the day went by. Gwyneth looked to Lyla and reminded, "They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission." She pulled her eyes away from Lyla and looked back to the Doctor, "So tell me."

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other." He pushed himself off the door frame and looked to the owner of the house and asked, "Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

The undertaker thought for a moment then answered, "That would be the morgue."

They make their way down to the basement where its dark and dank and smelt like dead people. Lyla soon found herself looking at sheet covered bodies laid out on tables.

"Urgh. Talk about bleak house." The Doctor said lightly.

Rose, still trying to understand the mechanics of time, questioned him, "The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869."

"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that." He snaps his fingers and looked directly at Lyla when he stated, "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Was that supposed to sound like a threat, Doctor?" Lyla questioned him with a cold look.

A chill passed through the room stopping whatever the Doctor was about to say and prompting Dickens to state the obvious, "Doctor, I think the room is getting colder."

The Gelth appeared under the arch and sang out, "You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."

"Promise you won't hurt her." Rose pleaded but got no confirmation to what she had said. _Is it just because I know what going to happen that I think everyone is being stupid. Is it just because I can see the flaws in all of this._

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth." _Pity my ass. Go suck on a tit, you evil dicks._

The Doctor stood before them and reminded, "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels. I can help them live." Gwyneth approached the Doctor, waiting for her instructions.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" He asked.

"Here, beneath the arch," the childlike voices sang out again.

Gwyneth stepped beneath the arch and Rose rushed to her to try to persuade her one last time, "You don't have to do this."

Gwyneth just looked at her and intoned, "My Angels," as if that's all the explanation that was needed.

Lyla walked up to her and gave her a hug and a quiet thank you in her ear and subtly felt for a pulse. Having found none, a few tears slipped out and she said a quiet goodbye as well.

The Gelth, over Gwyneth's head, started getting louder as it cried out, "Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!"

Lyla stepped back away from the servant girl when Gwyneth answered the Gelth back, "Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!"

"Bridgehead establishing."

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls."

"It is begun. The bridge is made." Gwyneth opened her mouth and blue gas began to pour out into the room. "She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." The Gelth became red and appear with sharp teeth as their voice growled out instead of the childlike tones of before, "The Gelth will come through in force."

"You said that you were few in number." Dickens gulped.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses." The Gelth responded. The dead began to rise and the sheets started to drop.

Sneed approached Gwyneth, "Now, Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you." Before the corpse could grab Sneed, Lyla grabbed him firmly by his jacket. She gave a great pull and sent him towards Dickens in the process. She quickly backed up away from the reaching dead hands until she could feel the Doctors presence at her back. Lyla looked around at all the dead bodies that were starting to rise and shivered in revulsion.

Having seen what would have happened if Lyla hadn't been quick on her feet and grabbed Sneed, the Doctor commented lightly, "I think it's gone a little bit wrong."

"You think." Lyla retorted with a slight elbow to his gut in retaliation. _Know the Alien gets a clue!_

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead." The Gelth taunted as they approached the trio.

The Doctor attempted speaking to Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!"

The Gelth kept approaching the three as they continued backing up, "Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth."

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so-," he escaped through the door with Mr. Sneed hot on his tail.

Lyla heard a rusty door opening and felt hands clasp on to her hips as she was pulled into the alcove with the other two. She situated herself beside the Doctor after he released her and started looking around at the pipes.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth." The gas aliens reached through the bars trying to get to the trio.

Lyla found the pipes and started opening as many as she could. _Gas. Why did it have to be gas,_ she thought as she gagged already feeling light headed.

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor yelled at the Gelth.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh," was the answer back.

"Not while I'm alive," he promised.

"Then live no more."

"But I can't die. Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it." Rose questioned the Doctor. Worry and fear etched on her face. _Grow up, little blondie. Life isn't sunshine and lemonade._

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said with sorrow.

"Guys. I think I have a plan." Lyla said faintly but they either ignored her or weren't listening.

"But it's 1869. How can I die now?" Rose said dejectedly. _Jesus! Will you too get your head out of your ass and listen to me!_

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you two here," he apologized.

Rose faced forward after listening to his spill and assured the Doctor, "It's not your fault. I wanted to come."

Lyla gave a hacking cough and said faintly, "I have a fucking plan if you two are done bitching about dying here." They turned to look Lyla as one but she doubles over in a coughing fit and gagging at the end with the force of the coughs.

"Wait, what is that smell." The doctor inquired.

Lyla gave up and instead intertwined her hand with the Doctors and held on for dear life as she tried not to pass out from lack of oxygen. He looked over at her with a small smile that fell quickly as he sniffed again. This time looking at Lyla as she struggled to breath. "What did you do?" He questioned.

"Turned on the gas. I was a science major in College. Those aliens are gaseous so fill the room with gas," she coughed again and leaned into the Doctor a little bit more and her voice had softened to a whisper she said gently, "Suck them out of the host." _Finally! Know just concentrate on not passing out._

"What and kill us faster." Rose demanded.

At that moment, Dickens ran into the room, "Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!"

"Brilliant you are," he cackled and leaned over Lyla and placed a passing kiss on her temple as he pulled the main gas line. "Plenty more!" _Did he just… I think he did. Why? Maybe I'm already hallucinating._

The Gelth got sucked back into the air and the corpses drop with a resounding thud. The trio rush out of the alcove and up to Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels," the Doctor pleaded as he held Lyla up.

"Liars," She mumbled dreamily.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" The Doctor insisted as he tried to reason with her.

Lyla gave another hacking cough and swayed into the Doctor. He looked down with fear clearly on his face as he accessed the situation. "Get them out now!" The Doctor instructed Dickens. Lyla was passed to Dickens and he held her up as she faded in and out. Black spots appearing in her vison. _I will not pass out. I will not pass out._

"Doctor! This poor girl," Dickens fretted

He looked over at Lyla but just continued begging to get them all out in time, "Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth listed to the side as she pulled out a match box.

"You can't!" Rose yelled and rushed the girl to just be held back by the Doctor.

"Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" the Doctor coaxed.

Dickens pulled Lyla through the hallways of the house, as he was supporting most of her weight by now, and they were quickly followed by Rose. They made it outside and sucked in massive amounts of oxygen to clear out the gas. Lyla turned around, still wobbly on her feet, and watched the house with trepidation as she waited for the Doctor. She saw him dive out seconds before the house exploded. _I'm so sorry Gwyneth._ Tears poured from her eyes in silent trails down her face as she watched the burning house.

Rose looked at the Doctor full of sadness. "She didn't make it," she sniffled.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift," he consoled, looking back at the burning house.

"At such a cost. The poor child," Dickens sighed.

Lyla walked up beside the Doctor and took his hand, interlacing their fingers in a fierce grip. He looked over at her and saw the steady flow of tears down her cheeks as she looked up at him, he tried to comfort and explain, "I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes."

"What do you mean." Rose sniffed.

"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch," he solemnly answered her.

"But she can't have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose ranted, confused on the mechanics again.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor." Charles Dickens wisely stated.

Rose looked back at the burning structure, "She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know."

Lyla sniffed and with a rough voice from the earlier choke hold, coughing up gas, and now from holding back sobs, "We'll know. That's all that matters."

They all walked back to the Tardis, "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long," informed the Doctor.

"What are you going to do now?" Rose asked the writer.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital." Dickens chittered with a slight bounce at the prospect of seeing his family.

The Doctor noticed his change in mood from earlier and acknowledged, "You've cheered up."

"Exceedingly!" He chuckled, "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them." Dickens gushed with a smile and a writer's gleam in his eye.

Lyla laughed softly at his change of mood. _At least one of us is happy._

Rose smiled, "Do you think that's wise?"

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth," he boasted. Excited at the prospect of writing new interesting tales for the world to read.

The Doctor went up to him and shook his hand as he chuckled, "Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic."

Lyla hugged him and whispered into his ear, "Thank you! And have a Merry Christmas, Charlie." She stepped away and back over to where the Doctor was standing by the doors.

Rose gave him a kiss on the check after she thanked him, "Bye, then, and thanks."

"Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Charles questioned.

"You'll see. In the shed," the Doctor said conspiracyly.

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?" The writer asked curiously.

"Just a friend passing through," he answered.

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?" he inquired with a hopeful look.

The Doctor chuckled and gave Charles a big grin, "Oh, Yes."

"How long?"

"Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, Lyla, Rose."

"In the box? All three of you?" he noted, with a naughty look at the doctor. Something close to praise and pride on his face at the notion of two females in a small box with the Doctor.

The Doctor gave him cheeky smile, "Down Boy. See you." The three stepped into the Tardis and made their way to the console. Lyla flopped down in the Captain's chair with a sigh.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked the Doctor as they walked.

"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story," the Doctor explained.

"He was so sweet though." Lyla said off handedly as she rubbed her temples again.

The Doctor looked over at the lounging girl, "But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise." Lyla smiled and stood back up to help at the console as well as Rose. They dematerialized and they watched the shock and fascination take over Charles Dickens face as they flew into the time vortex.


End file.
